The Only Cure
by Big Willis
Summary: Being raised by the greatest medic in the world made Naruto different. But his world is still the same. Akatsuki is still around, Orchimaru's intrest in him is aroused, and now he's being returned to Konoha. But how is this blonde supposed to surpass everyone that came before him to be the greatest ninja of all time when he hasn't even earned his headband?
1. Sober Up

AN: This is a mere what-if story that has a pretty common idea. Naruto raised by Tsunade, who would be a terrible parent if we were honest. But more importantly, Naruto will be a medic in this fic. A very good one, and a very bad one too. I'm really excited by all of the ideas I have for this character type, so we'll see how it goes. This will be a side project for the moment, but I'm sure it'll get lengthy with time. A bit AU. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of Kishimoto's stuff. As much as a part of me wishes to disagree, the world is probably better of without me writing for the manga. I'm sure I would do crazier stuff to Naruto than Kishi ever could. Chapter Title goes to a Joe Budden song ft. Crooked I. Kinda old, but I still like it.

Chapter 1

Sober Up

"Fancy meeting you here, Tsunade. Of all the places to run into an old teammate, this has got to be the most unexpected. So how are you? Shizune, I take it you are well?"

Tsunade sighed as she looked down to her empty glass and waved an empty bottle to the table's waiter. "He's buying us the best stuff in the house. All of it."

Looking to her old teammate, she leveled him a look before asking "What do you want, Jiraiya? We're trying to enjoy ourselves here before the festival starts and the slots get loose. So tell us whatever Sarutobi wants me to know and get outta here."

Jiraiya's loud and boisterous grin dampened a little, but he kept it up as he answered "What if I told you this was just a personal visit? I'm here to check up on you because I'm feeling a little sentimental and miss the old times."

"Bullshit. The old times were nothing but us running through war-torn countries and killing everything in our way."

"You don't miss that? I was such a bad ass back then. But some things never do change, I reckon. You always hated looking back at the past, for one."

The drinks arrived at the table and both Jiraiya and Tsunade poured themselves large glasses. They drowned them quickly, with Tsunade going for seconds while Jiraiya's face turned more serious and he looked into his beautiful teammate's eyes.

"Sensei didn't send me to find you, Tsunade. I came on the village's behalf. We both know that Sarutobi's getting old and is gonna kick the bucket here in a few years. We're in desperate need for a suitable candidate Hokage and there aren't many shaping up for the job. I want you to come back to Konoha and take up the hat before it's too late. If you come back now, while Sensei is still around, he can show you the ropes and make things easy on you."

"I don't want the hat, Jiraiya. You know that. I've left the village behind. I won't put myself through all that again. I've had enough dead people on my hands and I can't bear any more."

"Tsunade, you're not listening." Jiraiya clarified, putting his hands down on the table. "If you don't come back now, then our new Hokage, probably Shikaku or Kakashi, will rescind your wandering rights as a Sannin and order you to come in. I can make sure of that. And think of your two apprentice's here. They've followed you to the ends of the earth and back. You could at least settle down for once and let them rest their feet. I'm not saying you should spend the rest of your life behind a desk, but I am asking you to come home and live up to that name of yours. Run the village until we've raised someone to take the hat from you."

Tsunade sighed and looked down at her empty glass again, before filling it up for a third time, then emptying it again. She cast a small look down the table to her apprentices, one in particular. A bit of guilt swelled up in her for a moment before she spoke again.

"Jiraiya. In all honesty, I want to say no. I should say no. I have every right to say no. But I'm not going to say no. I'll go back and run the village for a few years, but only because of Nawaki and Dan. I'll run the place until Sarutobi kicks the bucket and another runt with hopes and dreams comes along, ready to throw his life away. After that I'll be done with that place for good and I will retire to gamble my life away. Understood?"

Jiraiya nodded his head. "Most certainly, Hime."

With that, he got up, slapped some money on the table, then asked "So shall we be off?"

Tsunade snorted from her seat and looked up to her much taller teammate. "Did you honestly think I would pass up on this festival? I'll return to the village when we finish up here and I clean house."

Jiraiya frowned, looking disappointed, but he knew better than to push it. He thought it was incredibly lucky that the woman had agreed in the first place. He then sat back down at the table, getting an odd look from his fellow Sannin.

"Was there something else, Jiraiya? I agreed to come back. If I don't then you can just track me down again and try to drag me back. What else could you possibly have to say that can't wait a week or so?"

Jiraiya poured himself another cup of sake and looked over to the other occupants of the table for the first time. Shizune was still the same as ever. Dressed modestly in a black kimono with white trim and her hair still straight down around her head. Tonton was perched in her lap, head resting on the wooden table as he sniffed at all the interesting smells wafting about. Then the last occupant, who was sitting closest to him at the round table. Spiky blonde hair. Deep blue eyes. Sun-kissed skin. It was like looking 30 years in the past for Jiraiya. The kid looked near identical to his late apprentice, Minato.

"When'd you pick up the new kid, Tsunade? I thought you weren't much of the teacher type. I want to hear the story on how you picked up this Yondaime look-a-like. I get the feeling it's a good one."

Tsunade glanced down the table at her youngest apprentice, who was looking back at her apprehensively. She didn't blame him. She'd be nervous too if she was in his place. She stood up from her seat and addressed her two apprentices in a quick order. "Go back to the room and tuck yourselves in for the day. We'll need an early start on the festival tomorrow if we wanna win big. I'll be there shortly."

With that, she grabbed Jiraiya out of his seat and exited the tavern with an all too eager Jiraiya behind her. As they hit the evening street, Tsunade used some of her neglected ninja skills to take the two outside of town in a burst of speed. Jiraiya removed himself from her grasp and crossed his arms, waiting for the woman to begin explaining why she drug them outside of town, even as he was already beginning to put things together in his mind.

"Why are you bringing this up now, Jiraiya? He's a week away from going back to Konoha and you want to kick this up now? Yes, I know who he is and no I'm not telling you how I found the boy, but I will say that he's better off as he is now than he ever would've been at the village all alone. And we both know that was how he was before. I haven't told him anything and I expect you to do the same until I see fit as his guardian to inform him _myself_."

Jiraiya took a breath of air as he let the confirmation sink in. Then he exhaled, letting some of his anger roll off of him before speaking. "Guardian? You made him take the oath to be your apprentice, I take it."

Tsunade nodded. "I thought it was best in case the village ever sent anyone after him. I didn't want him to go back until he was ready. If he even wanted to go back…"

"Ready for what, Tsunade? What was so bad at the village that you had to pluck him up and gallivant him around the country to protect him from? It certainly couldn't of been the fame and fortune that was waiting on him when he grew up, or the security from a platoon of personally chosen Anbu to watch over him. It couldn't of been the plethora of friends he could've made that were his own age. It wasn't the comfort that comes with the fact that he had a home to go to every day when all was said and done. You took him from Konoha, and from me, because you felt you were trying to make something up to Kushina of all people, who died so her son could be safe in Konoha, the village her and Minato died to save. It's a bit silly, ain't it?"

Tsunade looked astonished at Jiraiya's statements, before retaliating "Well unless the world's turned on it's heels, Jinchuuriki were still hated and despised last I heard. The news had already leaked out into the village and you and I both know none of what you said would've come to pass if the village did know about his burden. I saved him from a childhood of being spit on and discriminated against. You know it."

"Tsunade, people were trying to adopt him! He was going to have an actual family, not some makeshift one consisting of a drunkard and her servant. Yes, people knew he was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, but word also leaked that he was Minato's boy. He was a celebrity, an idol, to some of the villagers. And then word spread and now his birthday is a national holiday. Which you would know if you were ever in the country. This is the first time you've been back here in five years at least. So you've had him out in the open, unprotected, with the entire world knowing Minato Namikaze had a son and was looking for him. You're incredibly lucky no one has killed him yet. We all are lucky."

Head swimming from all the information she took in, she could only stammer out "They know? But Sarutobi would've never announced it! How? And beside's I'm a Sannin, retired or not. Who in the world would go after Naruto with me watching over him?"

Jiraiya just gave her a look of disbelief before commenting "I could beat you as you are now with one hand. And the next generation has come along a lot farther than you would think. Did I tell you about the kids that killed Hanzo? That's the reason Ame has gone so silent for so long. Three people took out Hanzo, which was something we couldn't do even in our prime. So excuse me if I think you qualify as sufficient protection for Naruto. And that's without the Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki? What the hell is that?" Tsunade questioned, getting concerned. She still remembered that fight with Hanzo and remembered the wounds the three of them had been sent scurrying off to tend to after that fight. And if these guys were supposed to be worse…She needed to know what was going on.

"Akatsuki is a terrorist organization who's members are all S-class criminals that range from our old friend Orochimaru, to Itachi Uchiha, to even psychos like Deidara, the mad bomber from Iwa that went AWOL a few years ago. They're no joke and despite my best efforts, I haven't gotten any dirt on what their intentions are asides gathering up the bijuu for some master purpose. I'm not even sure how many of them there are."

Tsunade's face was considerably paler when the news sunk in before she began to defend herself. "I've taught Naruto a lot since he's been with me. He's learned more in those years than I would've ever dared to hope, but he's a medic. He's never seemed that interested in fighting other people, but more with learning and taking care of people. He can't live with a platoon of Anbu all over him and he shouldn't have to. But he's no where near the level he'll need to be to protect himself from ninja of that caliber. He'd have to train for years. And that kind of training would need a purpose asides being a medic."

"Listen, the Chunin Exams are coming up in a month and they are taking place in Konoha. What I would suggest is that we get Naruto to the village as quickly as possible and begin training him. Tell him you're interested in how far he's progressed in his learning and while he's busy with that, you can be filling out all the paperwork and doing all of the political puppetry needed to enroll him as an active ninja. When he's in the program, something will click in his head that he needs to get stronger and he'll take off like a rocket."

"That doesn't make any sense, Jiraiya. Why would he just jump into the shinobi lifestyle so easy? He's supposed to be prepped into that from a child, which was something I insisted he acted like while he had the chance. There's a much better chance that him jumping into the Chunin exams will kill him or break his spirit one."

Jiraiya just smirked and shot back "You're not counting the fact that he's Minato's and Kushina's son, my godson, and the fact that one of the most stubborn women in the Elemental Nations raised him. Have a little more faith in the kid."

Tsunade glared at Jiraiya, who held her gaze solidly as she thought over his idea more and more. It seemed like there was a lot resting on the wings, but the man had a point. If any one could do it and come out ready to face the world, it would be her Naruto.

"Fine. Let's get back to them and let them know we'll be headed to Konoha two days from now."

Jiraiya stared at her in confusion, before it set in. "You still want to gamble?"

A small smile laced Tsunade's face. "Have you ever known me to not want to gamble?"

Jiraiya began to laugh, loud and deep, only for it to be drowned out by a distant explosion from behind the two. The two Sannin whipped around to see smoke pouring up from the town. The two legends shared a look before both were gone in a blink of incredible speed.

* * *

A Few Moments Earlier

"I'll get it." Naruto called out, leaving his rather comfy bed to answer the knock at the door. It was probably Tsunade anyways, so there was no need to rush Shizune out of the bathroom to open it. Naruto opened the door widely, eyes blinded momentarily from the much brighter hallway compared to his room. He didn't see the kick level with his chest till it had already sent him tumbling backwards into the room painfully. He had screamed in pain, caught of guard and unprepared for the worst pain he could remember feeling. Internally, he mind was already running diagnostics and he was mildly relieved to find his rib was only partially fractured from the blow.

Shizune had jerked the bathroom door open at hearing Naruto's scream, hand blazing green in the signature color of healing chakra. Only this particular technique could be used for harm as well. Naruto knew the effects a chakra scalpel could have if well placed. But it dispersed a moment later, much to Naruto's confusion. He looked over his older sister and was even more confused when he found her frozen in place. She was stuck looking into the eyes of the strange man that was still in the doorway of their hotel room.

Naruto's hand was glowing green as he placed it on his chest, easing some of his pain while he looked over the intruder. He was obviously a ninja, but Naruto couldn't identify from what village. He was wearing a black cloak, covered in red clouds. A large straw hat covered most of his face, lined with two small bells on the side. Beneath the shadow of the hat, Naruto saw two red eyes, beautiful and hypnotic as back stars spun in them.

"Shizune! Snap out of it! What's going on? What do you want?" Naruto shouted, shifting off of the floor and onto his feet. This wasn't good. They were in trouble and Shizune was out of it. Naruto guessed it was genjutsu and knew it would take him several seconds to break it. Seconds he doubted this stranger would give him.

"I need you to come with me, Naruto. Don't resist."

The words were calm and even toned. They were also creepy as hell and Naruto didn't believe them. He wouldn't go anywhere with this guy. A flare of his chakra lit his hands green again, but this time it was noticeably sharper, more befitting for their name as scalpels.

"Break your genjutsu on Shizune then leave and I won't attack you. I'm not going anywhere with you."

A mild chuckle arose from the ninja and a response slipped out, still in the even and calm tone of voice. "I won't ask you again, Naruto. You aren't in any position to make demands and if Shizune couldn't harm me with such an ill-advised attack, then what hopes do you have? Quit trying my patience."

Naruto glared at the man, before gathering chakra in his feet for a burst of speed like Tsunade had taught him. In a moment, he had crossed the small distance between him and the man and thrust out with his hand as if it were a knife. It was slapped aside in a practiced parry, as if the movement was as simple as breathing for the ninja, but Naruto didn't stop. The second and third attack did not come any closer to scoring a hit, but they did succeed in positioning Naruto to shut the door in the ninja's face. It would've been comical if not vital for both his and Shizune's life.

Naruto grabbed the still frozen woman and tossed her on his back in a huff of strength and dashed for the window, tackling threw it just as the door to his hotel room blew off of it's hinges in a fiery explosion that launched Naruto across the street and into the roof of a building across the street. Naruto groaned as he pushed his way out of the imprint his body made on the clay tile and checked over Shizune, who was mostly unharmed by the explosion. He began to circulate chakra into her system to counter-act the foreign chakra holding her in a genjutsu while his eyes scanned his flaming room across the street.

Nothing was hidden in the blaze, but something catching his eye made him look up to the hotel's roof. Two men were standing there now. One was the stranger in his room, the other was a much larger man with a huge bandaged sword strapped to his back. Shizune came back to life in his arms and Naruto watched the two as reality came back to her. The instant it did, she grabbed Naruto into her arms and held him like a baby as she sprinted towards the town outskirts on the rooftops.

It seemed pointless, however, when the two mysterious ninja cloaked in black and red appeared in front of them in an absurd burst of speed. Shizune's sprint halted as she back pedaled at the sight of the two, but she didn't try to run again. It wouldn't help. She set Naruto down and pushed him behind her as she asked "What do you want? If you're here to collect money from Tsunade's gambling debts then we will pay you whatever the price is and some. Just let Tsunade get back first."

The larger of the two men, the one Naruto hadn't heard yet, laughed out loud, sounding harsh and cruel even in his humor. "We aren't here for the old hag or her debts. We're here for the runt behind you. Now toss him over and _maybe_ Itachi will convince me to let you live. If not, then Itachi won't even try to stop me."

Shizune wrapped Naruto in a backwards hug, frightened and making sure he was close. Naruto just peered around her and glared at the two men in front of him. Shizune couldn't fight both of them and protect Naruto at the same time. It would be suicide. So Naruto would have to do the right thing and keep Shizune safe.

"Nee-chan, let me go. If I go, then you'll be alright and Tsunade and you can track these two down later. Tsunade could probably convince that old man to help. Please, I don't want you to get hurt for me."

Shizune didn't even act as if she had heard him, instead reaching into one of her arm's sleeves and drawing back the hidden senbon launcher, releasing it to shoot poison tipped needles at the two. The larger man drew his sword quickly and batted the tiny needles away with ease.

"Ok then. All bets are off. Dumb bitch."

In a flash of movement, the man was in front of Shizune with his sword overhead, ready to cleave her in half. Naruto wasn't sure, in that moment, if his adrenal glands kicked in naturally, or if his sudden spike in chakra instinctively stirred them up. But he could tell that his body had reacted and used it to the best of his ability. It was part of his medical training to know the body and he knew his body had prepared itself to move. So he moved.

In a quick lunge around Shizune, Naruto attempted to knife hand the huge man, who Naruto now saw was blue in skin tone. How odd. Naruto assumed he noticed due to all of the excess blood flowing through his veins that had awoken brain cells and made his sense perk up. Or maybe it was because of the large blue fist swinging the sword that knocked him away from his target like a torpedo into a wall of a building a few rooftops away.

Naruto couldn't see through the cloud of dust that had been stirred up from him crashing into the wall, nor could he see through the haze of pain he felt, but he had hoped Shizune had been bought enough time to move. She had to get away. Naruto couldn't let her die, especially not to men who were after him, not her.

His mind was most certain that his rib had indeed broken this time. He couldn't fight as he was. His breathing was impaired and he certainly couldn't run as he was. These two ninja would take him, that much was certain. The only thing that mattered now was Shizune's safety.

The dust settled and Naruto found that the one called Itachi was standing in front of him, his face impassive and his eyes still the same hypnotic red and black. Behind him was what mattered to Naruto though.

"Are you done fighting now, Naruto?"

The words were ignored as Naruto craned his neck to see Shizune. A small, wheezing breath escaped him in joy as he found her still alright. It was under strange circumstance, though. A large, human sized toad was standing on it's hind legs in front of her, blocking the man with the sword with it's armored forearms.

'_That's a summoned toad. But Shizune signed the slug contract, right?'_ Naruto wondered, until he spotted the solution. The old man from earlier, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin like Tsunade, was beside Shizune with a and on her shoulder. He was the famous Toad sage, so he must've summoned the toad to save Shizune. Naruto made a mental note to thank the man somehow whenever he could in the future. If he had a future.

'_But where's Tsunade? Wasn't she with the old man? Did something happen to her?'_

Fear crept into Naruto, deep and heart-stopping, for a moment as he thought of the worst, but a flicker of motion caught his attention. Itachi had jerked his head to the side, as if avoiding a blow. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw why. Tsunade was there in front of him. She had attempted to hit his attacker with one of her legendary power punches and must've missed what would've been a debilitating if not fatal blow.

The fact that she missed her first punch was reason enough to give Naruto worry, but faith in his mother sprung eternal as he saw her give a barrage of blows that drove the man back, even if none of them connected.

'_She's a Sannin after all. She's the strongest kunochi Konoha has ever produced. No way can she lose.'_ Naruto thought to himself, believing in her. Gravity began to take hold of him and peeled him out of the wall that Kisame had launched him into. Unable to move properly, Naruto did his best to shield his rib from the fall, but still let out a yelp of pain when he hit the rooftop. It wasn't loud, but still enough to make Tsunade stop her attack and instantly appear at his side, hands glowing green.

"You bastards! I'll kill you! I'll kill every last one of you after I rip your bloody eyes out of your skull!" Tsunade snarled at Itachi, who was standing there impassively, only for him to disperse in a haze. The second he did, Tsunade's attention returned to him in full.

"I'm so sorry sweetie. I didn't know any of this would've happened or I would've never let you out of my sights. I'm so so sorry. Please forgive me."

Naruto didn't speak, he just lay there and watched Jiraiya and Shizune. The large blue man had put the sword away to begin making hand seals, only for Jiraiya to attempt to punch him with a weird blue ball of chakra. It looked dangerous, from what Naruto could tell. Itachi appeared and moved him and Kisame out of the way, but not without throwing a single kunia that surprised the Sannin and buried in his chest.

Naruto's whisper hardly covered Shizune's own shriek at what happened, causing Tsunade to look up and see blood falling out of Jiraiya's wound. The man was still up, clearly in pain and most likely in need of serious medical help. But the sight of his blood froze Tsunade up completely. Her jutsu faded and Naruto felt the warmth she was transferring over alongside the medical chakra disappear. Her phobia of blood had sprung up, paralyzing the woman as she thought over and over again on lost loved ones from her past.

"Tsunade! Come on, wake up! Kaa-san! Jiraiya needs you, get up!" Naruto shouted, wincing as it stirred his rib. Tsunade was a miracle worker but she hadn't had the time to repair his rib yet. He still couldn't move properly.

Tsunade didn't stir. Nothing changed. Shizune had long since started doing what she could for Jiraiya and the two strange ninja had vanished, deciding against pressing their advantage. The old sage had been order to lay down and Shizune was examining the wound per protocol. Naruto saw her activate the **Shosen** (Mystical Healing Palm) technique and could only guess as to what she was mending back together. The jutsu could only do so much, however and Naruto would need to see Jiraiya's wound before he could make a proper diagnosis. As if he was in the proper state to treat another when he was in his current shape.

'_No medic ninja should ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end.'_

The very first rule of being a medic nin, the one that Tsunade herself had made and drilled into him as a child. She'd told him that a thousand times to the point where it was instinctive whenever Shizune or herself were injured from day to day things, he would stop and heal them completely.

But here was Tsunade, the greatest medic ninja of all time, breaking the first rule she made for being a medic nin.. How shameful. There was no way Naruto could let her do this. His pride in her as an apprentice demanded this by rectified immediately.

Naruto rolled over and squirmed the best he could until he was sitting upright in front of his teacher, cupping her face in his hands and shouting "Tsunade! Get a hold of yourself! How can you call yourself a doctor if you won't snap out of this and help him! Or help me…" Naruto's voice broke at that as a fit of pain made him cough into his hands.

Firmer, warmer, hands slipped around his and he looked up to see the woman smiling at him, eyes watery but still happy.

"You're right, Naruto. Thank you for that. Now let's go heal ourselves an old pervert."

Without a bit of protest, the woman scooped Naruto up like a child and carried him over to Jiraiya, where she laid him down. In a simple command, Tsunade took over Shizune's place at Jiraiya's side and began her art while Shizune looked over Naruto and began set the bone back in place before starting the mending process. They were lucky that nothing had been ruptured by the bone and setting it in place was child's play to a seasoned medic like Shizune.

Jiraiya looked over to the blonde boy and grinned at him, a twinkle in his eye despite the pain. "She can't seem to keep her hands off of me, eh brat? Maybe getting hurt isn't so bad after all. Even if it was just luck that the damn Uchiha hit me anyways."

"Luck? You sure you're not getting old and rickety like the rest of our generation?"

"Please, Tsunade. I'm fit as a fiddle. I could outpace you any day. Which reminds me, when is the last time you touched up on your skills? You seem to have fallen off a bit if that little Uchiha boy walked away without a scratch. I at least gave fish face a good run for his money until Itachi bailed him out. It might just be time for you to sober up and pick up a kunai instead of a sake bottle."

Naruto interrupted the banter between the two Sannin as something more pressing came to mind that overrode his manners about interrupting his elders. Something that was bothering him about those two men.

"Did you know them? Do you know who either of those two were, Jiraiya-sama?"

The sage looked over Naruto, before looking back up to the open sky. "Yeah I do. Those two are missing nin. S-class to boot. They were more than just your run of the mill bad guys. One was Itachi Uchiha, the single man responsible for killing of his entire clan, par one. The other was Kisame Hoshigaki, the Monster of the Mist. I'm not as familiar with him, because he's Kiri's missing-nin, but I know he was charged with large amounts of property damage, murdering innocents, and then wiping out fellow shinobi when he felt they were turning on him. Why?"

Naruto was still looking at the man, who wouldn't meet his eyes when he answered. "What do they want with me? They came to the hotel looking for me and could've kill Shizune nee-chan just to get me. Why?"

Tsunade finished mending back the skin of Jiraiya's stab wound and pulled him off the tile he was laying on. She then turned to Naruto and scooped him up as well. Setting him on his feet, she ruffled his hair in a playful way, like she used to when he was younger, before answering somberly "I'll tell you on the way to Konoha."

* * *

AN: So there we go folks. This was the very first chapter of The Only Cure and I can't help but say I liked it. I enjoyed writing it and I think it turned out good, if a little short. So here's hoping you enjoyed it and I'd ask you leave a review, even if you didn't. For reference's sake, this chapter takes place about the same time Team 7 would return from their mission in Wave. Thanks for reading! Big Willis, out!


	2. Place to Be

AN: Due to the tremendous success in acquiring attention, I thought that this next chapter ought to be my number one priority. With that in mind, I'd like to thank all of the readers for the surprising amount of attention the first chapter did receive. It's greatly appreciated. So I hope you'll read on and continue to enjoy the story. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, surprisingly. Otherwise, there would hardly be any plot to it and there would be a lot more epic fighting. Also, chapter title comes from Slaughterhouse's album Welcome to: Our House.

Chapter 2

Place to Be

"What's Konoha gonna be like, Shizune nee-chan? I've never been to an actual hidden village before, like you and Tsunade have."

Shizune turned her head to the side, looking down at her much shorter walking companion. They'd been traveling this way mostly due to Tsunade's preference of comfort over speed, but it gave Naruto the time needed to let everything he'd learned sink in. It was an awful lot to have put on him at once. This was the first thing he had said to anyone since he'd learned about his past.

"It's big. Much bigger than every other village around here. It's at least twice as big as Kusagakure. Do you remember us staying there? It was close to winter so we had to wear those itchy robes while Tsunade treated the Daimyo's wife there."

Naruto's eyes squinted as he thought back, but they widened again when the recollection of memories hit him. "Yeah! You were healing my fingers all the time back then because I wasn't good enough at it yet. And Kaa-chan made me wear that stupid hood so I wouldn't get a cold… Or was it because she didn't want anyone to see me?"

Shizune saw Naruto slip down a train of thought and immediately tried to break him out of it. If he started to believe that Tsunade hadn't had his best interest at heart, then trust would be lost. So she decided to bring up a different subject and get Naruto's mind on something else.

"Did you ever finish that super secret technique you were working on, Naruto? The one with your hands?"

Naruto's head whipped back around to lock onto Shizune, before he started answering "That's not just something you can finish, Nee-chan. It's never gonna be truly finished, at least I don't think it will. I haven't found any research or notes anywhere that indicate otherwise. But if you're asking whether or not it's practical to use, then yeah."

Shizune nodded, mildly interested in seeing what all Naruto could accomplish with his developing skill. Even if it bothered her how the whole thing came about, she was still proud of what Naruto had done with his medical training. He was making it his own.

"Konoha is warm and busy, no matter what time of the year it is. There isn't much rain there, but the weather is always nice out. It's surrounded by beautiful forests and lots of flowers. What really makes Konoha special is the people. The people in Konoha are always in bright spirits, always helpful and smiling. It's my favorite place in the whole world." Shizune continued, keeping Naruto busy listening to her.

"Then why'd you leave?" Naruto asked. Shizune was making the place sound wonderful, because he knew she wasn't exaggerating or deceiving him. She was always truthful with him, which was something he did in return. When they weren't messing with each other, at least.

"I…guess I wanted a break. The war was still going on back then and my gennin squad leader had died in an Iwa ambush. My squad was being disassembled and I was going to be placed in the hospital's current program. Tsunade was there at the time and she noticed me, offering pointers on what to do and how to handle certain patients that were always giving me fits. I enjoyed working there. I made a lot of friends and everyone was nice to me, even though we were always busy."

"Sounds like you were happy though. What changed?" Naruto questioned.

"My uncle died. Dan, who was currently courting Tsunade at the time, died on the battlefield. Tsunade was there and tried to save him, but couldn't. That's when she developed her fear of blood. Not soon after, she announced she was leaving the village indefinitely. I originally planned to seek her out and ask her to stay and teach me, but when I saw her, I chickened out. She offered me the chance to learn under her as an apprentice, so long as I always listened to what she said. So I agreed. The next day we left Konoha and never went back."

Naruto's gaze softened and he looked farther down the road, where Tsunade and Jiraiya were talking quietly. "She was really hurt over all that, huh? I remember when she called me Nawaki on accident and cried the rest of the night. Now she's going back home and she's gotta face all those old memories again… We've gotta do something for her, Shizune. I don't know what, but I'm not letting her down. She wants me to get stronger, right? Then I'm gonna get started training as soon as we get to Konoha!"

The declaration got a snicker out of Shizune, making Naruto look at her and question.

"Oh it's nothing. You just reminded me of my old gennin team is all. One of my squad mates got all fired up whenever we got our first C-ranked mission outside of the village. The only problem with that mission was that we were supposed to find this crazy cat that belonged to some hideous woman and had slipped outside the gates."

"I won't have to do lame stuff like that, will I Nee-chan?" Naruto begged. He hated cats and they hated him in return. And he'd heard stories while passing through smaller ninja villages about infamous D-ranked mission. They were all menial labor and chores. No way would any of those types of missions make him stronger.

Shizune pondered on the question for a moment before answering "I don't think so. If Tsunade was to enroll you in the shinobi forces like she plans to then you would probably be placed as a Chunin at least. Sure, you'd have to get into shape physically, but as far as chakra arts, you'd be well above most others your age."

"Chunin don't do D-ranked missions?" Naruto asked. Tsunade had taught him a lot of things outside of medicine, mostly just because it was practical to make Naruto knowledgeable. That didn't mean she went into a lot of details about every subject.

"No, they do mostly C-ranked mission or occasionally B-ranked missions if they have a squad of other Chunin to back them up. Jonin are allowed to do solo B-ranked missions and even A-ranked missions if they are skilled enough."

"What about S-class? Those kinda missions are the ones that Kaa-chan would always tell me about. They were always cool and there was a lot of fighting and danger. Explosions and bad guys. That sorta stuff."

Shizune gave Naruto a look that he hated. It was one of those 'You know you can't do that' looks. Shizune always gave it to him whenever there was something dangerous about and that could seriously hurt Naruto. She was a very protective older sister, overbearing at times, but no one cared as sincerely as Shizune did.

"Those types of missions are saved for the best shinobi the village has to offer. They are extremely dangerous and shouldn't be taken lightly, Naruto." Shizune scolded. Naruto playfully stuck his tongue out at her, which she smiled and returned in kind. While the two were making faces at each other, a call came out from Tsunade telling them "We're here! Act your age, you two! The first time we come home in years and my two apprentices are acting like children. How shameful."

Shizune had the decency to look shameful as the two took in their surroundings. In front of them were the massive pair of gate doors that lead to Konohagakure no Sato. Outside were two gate guards sitting in a booth, wearing standard Chunin garb. Jiraiya began to chat animatedly with the two men as Naruto nudged his sister figure and whispered "I'm not gonna have to wear that stupid uniform, am I?"

Shizune shook her head before whispering back "What's wrong with the uniform? I like it."

Naruto snickered before shooting back "I'm not surprised. It's just as boring as your regular attire."

A slap to the back of the head stopped his snickering before Shizune hissed a sharp rebuttal "What's so boring about what I wear? I helped you pick out your outfit anyways."

Naruto looked over his attire of blue shinobi pants wrapped with medical tape at the ankles and matching sandals, a black shirt with a dark red spiral on the back, topped with his traveling coat. It was identical to Tsunade's only orange and with the kanji for 'Legendary Winner' on the back instead of 'Legendary Sucker'. The reason being was that Naruto had the absolute opposite of his sensei's luck at gambling and had made a fortune before Shizune had forbidden that he gamble any more.

"Mine's stylish and sticks out. You just blend in. It's no wonder you can't get a boyfriend." Naruto jeered, but before Shizune could argue back, the gate doors opened and the group of four travelers were met with a wall of sound.

Cheers from screaming villagers, shouting their joy at one of their legendary Sannin returning home after so long away. Praise for the returning of the Yondaime's lost son and cherished successor. Pride at Konoha finally having a Jinchuuriki to put it at equal standing with other hidden villages again.

It made for a heart stopping memory for Naruto, who never would've expected something like what he saw. He looked at Tsunade, who was smiling, watching him out of the corner of her eye while waving back at the exuberant crowd. Naruto smiled, before imitating his teacher and waving back at some younger children who were screaming over the return of the Fourth's son.

It would certainly be something to get used to. Going from being near anonymous on the streets to village celebrity would be a strange change. But Naruto could already tell he'd like his stay here in Konoha. Already it was starting to feel like home.

In front of the four, a group of shinobi were parting the crowd to allow the group to proceed, the Hokage's Tower their obvious destination. The crowd followed them the entire way and some of the shinobi even took to the rooftops to keep up. Naruto watched them with particular interest, wondering just how strong each one of them were and how he would fall in scale next to them. It was a pointless endeavor, but one he did anyways.

One girl in particular caught his eye. She was around his age, but Naruto couldn't get a good look at her features from the distance they were at and the way she was moving to keep pace with his party. She had her eyes looked onto Tsunade and they never slipped off the woman. It was almost creepy and made Naruto wonder what the girl's problem was, or if she was some sort of assassin after her target. Naruto brushed the thought off when the girl finally took her eyes off of Tsunade and they landed on him.

Naruto immediately got the feeling the girl didn't like him. A pit formed in his stomach at the dislike Naruto could feel coming off of the girl in waves. The girl stared down at him in an unspoken contest as to who would look away first, the chicken of the two. Naruto nearly fell out of step with his group, but caught himself and looked away from the girl. An uneasy feeling settled into his stomach as he thought to himself _'I just got here and already someone doesn't like me. We haven't even spoken yet and I can already tell she hates my guts.'_

Maybe hate was a strong word, but it certainly chipped at Naruto's good mood. The four arrived at the base of the Hokage Tower and the crowd scattered, no longer able to see their celebrities. The tower interns and lackeys all snapped to attention when they saw the group, who merely continued onwards up a set of stairs and to the Hokage's office.

'_Tsunade-sama's office, soon.'_ Naruto thought to himself as a grin worked its way on his face.

Jiraiya seemingly vanished into thin air as Tsunade knocked on the door, making Naruto wonder where the sage had slipped off to. Surely he'd want to stick around for the meeting that was about to take place. Nonetheless, the three remaining medics entered inside the room when an old voice beckoned them in with a warm greeting. Naruto, being the last one in, shut the door and took in the sight of the room.

It was smaller than Naruto expected, but still large in it's own way. The room was lined with bookshelves on one wall and windows on the other. The room was furnished with a large, solid desk that was the Hokage's personal desk. Tsunade's grandfather had made it, if he remembered right. Two twin chairs were aligned in front of it and made for comfortable seating if Naruto guessed right.

Standing in front of his desk was the most important object in the room. Naruto didn't recognize the old, withering man, but knew him immediately as the Hokage, even if he wouldn't have been wearing his proper attire. Naruto could sense his chakra and the radiance of power that seemed to belie the old man, but Naruto knew that this man wasn't Hokage for nothing. This was the God of Shinobi, who had trained his sensei and Jiraiya, even the traitor Orochimaru, into the legends they were now. The old man smiled widely and spread his hands out wide, greeting them happily.

"Tsunade-chan, so good to see you after all these years. I was afraid I wouldn't get the chance to again before these old bones gave out on me. And I see you haven't aged a bit since you left, you sly girl. But who is this you have with you? Shizune-chan as well. My, you've grown up so nicely. I'm sure you've had your hands full keeping my old student in check. She was always and handful when I was raising her and I'm sure she hasn't changed much."

Shizune giggled at this, to which Tsunade shot her a dark look. The Sandaime didn't seem to notice and continued on in his cheerful mood, telling the two how happy he was to see them back in the village again. Tsunade then pointed something out that made Naruto want to stomp her toes.

"You forgot about Naruto-kun here, Sensei. He must've slipped your senile mind, you old coot."

The Sandaime sent her a mock scolding look before focusing in on Naruto, whom Shizune pushed out in front of her. Naruto slipped a small kick to the shin back to her, which connected and made her wince. The Hokage pretended not to notice and smiled largely at seeing the boy.

"You certainly have gotten a lot bigger since the last time I saw you, my boy. You were only just beginning to get around back then. Now I think you could out pace me by a good margin."

"Not true, Hokage-sama." Naruto interjected, but cut himself off. Interrupting the Hokage was stupid and incredibly bad mannered. Tsunade would kill him later, he was sure.

"Modest, huh? You certainly didn't get that from Tsunade. But a little birdie stopped by this morning and told me that you have learned _something_ from Tsunade after all of years with her. I want to let you know, that as Hokage you have my explicit permission to assist in any way you desire at the hospital. I think that with the general knowledge of who your teacher is, that no one would turn down your healing services. Quite the opposite in fact."

Naruto nodded, face warming up a little at the compliment. Praise wasn't something Naruto was used to with Tsunade as his mentor. When she began to teach, she was as stern and mean as they come. But Naruto accepted what little praise he got as if it were something to be treasured. Seeing a man far his superior praise him despite the fact Naruto hadn't done anything to deserve it was embarrassing.

"Naruto, I also heard that you have become aware of your heritage, as well as your status as a Jinchuuriki. While I believe the crowd outside shows you the public's view on you, I'd believe it best to assign a squad of Anbu to watch over you, at least until things have settled down in the village. I hope you don't mind."

Naruto shook his head and the old man decided to continue.

"I know that you probably have a lot of questions to ask about your parents and even what it means to be a Jinchuuriki. It's a lot to have placed on your shoulders at such a young age. I knew your parents, watched them grow up and fall in love. And I watched them love you, even if the didn't get the chance to know you. So please listen to an old man when he tells you that your parents loved you deeply, Naruto and it hurt them that they couldn't be here with you today."

Naruto nodded his head, not trusting his voice as he pushed back on his emotions and felt his throat dry up.

"It's ok. I like life just the way it is with Tsunade-sama and Shizune nee-chan."

Sarutobi looked up and caught Tsunade's eyes, which were beaming with pride at her surrogate son, who didn't even know she was looking at him. The two veteran shinobi exchanged a glance before he asked "Naruto, I've heard that you want to enlist as a shinobi of the Leaf. While I have no problems with this and would be honored to have you serve my village, I want to know what surname to put on your ninja identification card. I understand if you don't want to take up your father's surname yet, or at all after the burden he put on you, and official Konoha records have you listed as Uzumaki, but it's your choice."

"Senju." That was Naruto's answer. Short. Eloquent. Deep and meaningful.

Sarutobi stared down at the blonde boy, who stared right back up at the Hokage, a firm look in his eyes at his decision. "Naruto, it regrets me that the political system in Konoha is this way, but if you were to take on the Senju's surname with Tsunade's blessing, I wouldn't be able to allow you into the Namikaze homestead nor allow you to access anything on the property. All monetary funds would be replaced into charity and items of worth would be sold off to the highest bidder at an auction you wouldn't be allowed to participate in. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

The sharp blue eyes that were eerily similar to his successor flickered for a moment. Sarutobi watched the boy make his decision, as it would be a life-altering one. But when Naruto answered, he was firm and securein his choice.

"Yes. I'm not the Yondaime's son, or at least not the one he wanted me to be. I'm a doctor, not the kickass ninja he was when he was my age. And I know he has a lot of jutsu and techniques stored away in his house that would help me with my Akatsuki problem, I think I'd rather stick with my real family on this. I think my dad would understand."

A hand wrapped around Naruto and pulled him backwards into a one-armed hug, smothering the poor boy in his surrogate mother's bosom. A muffled 'Quit it!' was heard before the Sannin finaly released her pupil.

The old man smiled at the two blondes, before something caught the corner of his eyes. Sighing, he suggested "Konoha hasn't changed too much since you left, Shizune-chan, so if you would, take Naruto out and show him around his new village. Tsunade and I need to stay here and catch up, I do believe."

The brunette nodded and grabbed Naruto's hand, tugging him out of the office and down the main stairway. As they left, Sarutobi went to his window and opened it, allowing his second student to slip in the office. The Sandaime had long since given up reasoning why his student always entered his office through the window and could only pray that it wouldn't pass down to other generations. He turned serious as he eased down into his plush chair, bones cracking and popping as he did so. When he finished sitting down, he looked to his students with a grim expression before asking "So tell me about your encounter with Akatsuki."

* * *

Shizune all but dragged Naruto through the lobby of the Hokage Tower, chatting with him on all of the stores and shops they should stop by. "We should go see if that sweet shop is still in business. Oh, they made the best licorice there. I would go there as a girl and spend nearly all of my pay from D-ranked mission on licorice."

"Licorice is nasty, Nee-chan. How can anybody eat that stuff is beyond me."

A quick warning squeeze of his hand let Naruto know to quit bad mouthing Shizune's favorite treat. She had an gleam in her eye that deterred Naruto from testing her on the subject any further. The two stepped outside and almost immediately there was a crowd on them. Mostly civilian women, screaming for Naruto to take their daughter's hand in marriage. Flabbergasted, the two apprenticed medics were nearly swallowed up by the crowd when a man stepped out of it and warded the raving women off.

He was a shinobi, a Jonin from the looks of him. He was dressed in the standard Konoha military uniform and had most of his hair covered by a bandana, asides a few strands that framed his face. The most noticeable thing about him was that he was chewing on a long toothpick, that on second look, was actually a senbon. His slack posture and demeanor made Naruto want to immediately label him off as a jerk.

"Shizune-san. So you really are back. I was headed up to the Hokage to report that the crowds has finally simmered out and that everyone would be in the village square tomorrow for the big announcement. It's good to see you." The man spoke with a laid back drawl, furthering Naruto's label of him.

Shizune seemed caught of guard for a moment, before something caught on in her mind and she squealed happily before wrapping the man in a hug. The man was stiff for a moment, before loosening up some and hugging back with one arm.

"Genma-kun! It's really you! Oh, you've grown taller than me! I remember when you were still so short and cute, but now you're all big and strong. You're a Jonin! Takama-sensei would be proud." Shizune calmed down some and stepped back away from the man, who had a softer smile on his mug now.

"Yeah. They promoted me and Raido a few years back after a really ugly mission out in **Yugakure** (Land of Hot Water). A Raiton jutsu went wrong and he got the worst end of it, but they gave us these cool jackets for it afterwards."

Shizune bit her lip at that, but tried to cheer up and asked "Are you on any particular assignment? I'd like to catch up with you all sometime. While I was out traveling under Tsunade you guys were out getting stronger and stronger. I bet you have all sorts of stories to tell, just like Sensei did."

Genma's hand slipped back behind his head and scratched at his hair beneath his bandana, before he answered slowly "Well, they have me on patrol with a few other Jonin watching over things while the village prepares for the Chunin Exams coming up. It's a real hassle, but I'm free for a little bit after I turn in this report."

"The Hokage's busy talking with Tsunade-sama right now, isn't he Nee-chan? Your report would probably have to wait until they finished." Genma looked down to Naruto, who'd finally made himself known to the older man. Naruto was content with sitting back and listening to Shizune talk, planning on grilling her over it later just to pick on her.

Shizune flashed him a grateful smile, before introducing her fellow apprentice. "This is Naruto-kun, Genma. He's been traveling with me and Tsunade for a while now and he's soon to be our up and coming medical expert. He's also-"

"I'm sure he's heard enough about me already, Nee-chan. Why don't you ask Genma-san to show us around? You probably don't remember much of anything about the village, plus Genma and you can catch up while he shows us around. He's got nothing to do for a while at least."

Shizune stopped mid-sentence and gave Naruto a look, questioning him. It wasn't like him to try and manipulate others, unless there was something he really wanted. And Naruto was playing it smoothly, being nonchalant and non-offensive when he brought up the idea of Genma showing them around. What was he trying to pull?

Naruto just smiled at his sister figure while Genma added "I'm game." to settle the matter.

Shizune turned to her old gennin squad mate and nodded. "Lead the way."

Naruto grinned to himself as the two older shinobi began to walk and talk, heading down the street towards a busy part of town. Naruto had seen enough village layouts to know that would be where most of the restaurants and small shops were. From there, ninja supply stores and specialty vendors would slip in and the streets would get smaller. Eventually, close to the walls of the village, residential sections would pop up. Naruto, in theory, could find his way to nearly any destination in the village just by knowing that.

So Genma leading them around was only a chance for him to pick on his sister. He'd have to think of something to embarrass her around Genma. It wouldn't take much. Shizune was easy to embarrass in front of others. The better she knew someone or the better the impression she was trying to make, the easier it got. Genma, unknowingly, was making Shizune the perfect target.

Naruto ignored most of his sister's and Genma's conversation as he looked around and soaked up the sights, trying to memorize where certain shops were placed. He noticed how some people were still poking their heads out of windows or doorways to look and see if it was really him. It was an odd feeling, knowing he was watched by strangers. He hoped that he got used to it, or maybe the stares would stop.

When he was younger, he used to wonder what it felt like for Tsunade to walk into towns and people recognize her. She was a world renowned medic of unparalleled ability. People thought highly over her, more than other shinobi of her class. She was a doctor after all. Who could hate someone who healed the sick and injured?

Naruto, though, he was the son of a legendary shinobi famous for single-handedly wiping out battalions of Iwa shinobi. He was also the container for an evil monster fox that had nearly destroyed the village he was walking in and had killed his father in order to defeat it. Yet still the people of Konoha stopped and starred at him. Maybe that was a good thing?

The two shinobi he was following stopped mid-street and Shizune squealed again. She was doing that a lot today. Naruto was starting to wonder if she still thought about that silly pig they almost got. Thank goodness they didn't. No way would that thing have survived living with Tsunade.

Naruto focused in on Shizune and Genma again and caught the tail end of Shizune's exclamation. "-still here! After all this time!"

Naruto followed Shizune's line of sight and saw a small, old shop that was out of place alongside more modern booths that lined it on either side. But Naruto peered in through one of the windows and saw that the place was lined with candy. Naruto backed away from the window and looked to his sister, asking "Is this the candy shop you told me about?"

Shizune nodded while Genma questioned with tone "You told him about Konoha's candy shops above all else? I guess your time with Tsunade-sama hasn't changed you that much."

Shizune's head swiveled from her glare at Naruto to a frantic glance at Genma. With that way Genma said that, Shizune most assuredly felt terrible. Being gone for so many years, then told that she hadn't changed much was hurtful in her eyes. She had left with insecurities and had come back as a skilled medic who had accomplishments to be proud of. But in front of Genma, she was still the same little girl.

"It's a good thing, Shizune. I was worried when you left that you would come back bitter, like Tsunade-sama was. I wanted to tell you not to change any, when you left, you know. But me and Raido overslept after training the night before you left and we missed seeing you off. Sorry for that."

Shizune's face brightened some, in a way Naruto liked. She was happy when she was like this.

"I thought for so long that you guys didn't care that I left, that maybe you were glad I was gone. That I wouldn't drag you down on missions anymore."

Genma's face turned to one of surprise, his senbon flaring up and out instead of drooping per his normal mellow mood. "No. We never thought that you-"

"Hey, hate to interrupt and all, but we've been blocking the door for a while now. Can we go inside to get out of the way at least? I wanna see what Shizune daydreams about all the time." Naruto jested, earning Shizune's ireful sneer while Genma was focused on opening the door.

Inside the shop was all the candy Naruto could imagine, then some. The store was bigger on the inside than it appeared. Candy lined the aisles, filling the place to the brim. There were more kinds than Naruto would dare count, each one different. Wrapped in bright colors and eye-catching logos, the place was a sweet tooth's heaven.

A quick glance at Shizune made Naruto want to burst out laughing, but refrained from doing so. He had an image to keep as Tsunade's apprentice and he couldn't fail to uphold it, regardless of how funny Shizune looked. She was standing in front of a large wheel of black licorice that was mounted on the wall behind the shop's register. A large woman, probably distant Akimichi if Naruto had to guess, was steadily turning the wheel at Shizune's insistence. The glaze that had covered Shizune's eyes and the drool that had lined her lip was hilarious, but Naruto saved the image for later and went to explore the shop more.

Farther back, the candy got more and more exotic. Chocolate tea leaves from **Cha no Kuni **(Land of Tea), flavored ice from **Yuki no Kuni **(Land of Snow), and even sweetbread covered in honey from **Mitsu no Kuni **(Land of Honey), which was supposed to be incredibly hard to get outside of its native country.

Naruto wandered farther and farther back, looking the shop over and began to hear voices. Stopping for a moment, he distinguished them as two girls, probably around his age. Peeking around the aisles' end cap, Naruto saw two girls that were indeed his age.

One was a blonde, a lighter shade than himself. She wore it in a ponytail down her back, over her purple sleeveless top and matching skirt. She had a majority of her legs wrapped, mostly for decency's sake, he assumed. The other girl was wearing a much more modest red battle dress with knee shorts underneath. Her pink hair stuck out to him as odd, but Naruto didn't doubt it was her natural hair color. He'd seen weirder.

The two were engrossed in some debate over what kind of candy was better. It struck Naruto as an odd argument, as most of the girls he had met his age worried about dieting. Listening in further, he heard what they were really arguing about.

"Sasuke-kun would like this one better, Billboard Brow! He hated the caramel you got him last time. He obviously likes nougat the best. And no one eats candy that has fruit fillings in it now-a-days. You're so out of date, it's almost unbearable sometimes."

"Oh whatever, Ino-pig. I'm on his team so of course I would know what he likes best. Sasuke-kun actually likes fruit. I saw him eat an apple for part of his lunch just yesterday."

The Ino girl, who was the blonde girl, deflated a little at the pinkette's mention of her being on the same team as Sasuke, whoever that was. What interested Naruto the most was that these two were supposedly kunochi.

'_Tsunade-sama would have a stroke if she saw these girls arguing like this over a boy's taste buds. Pitiful.'_

Naruto knew that Tsunade wouldn't show any leniency to those two for being so…girly. Maybe they were more serious when they were on active duty? He hoped so, for their squad mates' sake.

Before he could leave the girls to their debate, the topic shifted and he heard something prick at his ear.

"I wonder what kind of candy that the Yondaime's son likes? What was his name, Sakura? Nakumo or something like that, wasn't it?"

The pink haired girl, now identified as Sakura, clicked her tongue before stating "His name is Naruto, you dummy. And why do you care what he likes? He's probably already got some beautiful princess promised to him. No way he'd be interested in a pig like you. Besides, I thought you were Sasuke's one true love? Or have you given up in the face of my obvious success in capturing Sasuke's attention?"

The blonde snorted, sounding almost like her namesake before responding to the bristling insult. "Don't get delusional on me, girl. I was just curious. Don't get me wrong or anything, Sasuke's still a hunk, but this Naruto guy is cute too. He's been trained by Tsunade, he's the Yondaime's son, and he's holding back a giant monster fox. He seems waaay more sociable than Sasuke is, that's for sure."

"Do we have to talk about the fox? Here? Can't we just get some candy and leave, Ino?" Sakura whined. The mood was suddenly sour and Naruto slipped back down the aisle, moving back towards the front of the store. He shouldn't of been eavesdropping on the girls and now his good mood was gone, just like Sakura's. Ino bringing up the fox was that much of a mood killer.

Shizune and Genma were still at the front of the shop, rambling around. Shizune had a large amount of licorice in hand with some leading up to her mouth that was chewing away rapidly at the nasty stuff. Naruto just faked a smile at her, before asking "Are you guys ready to leave? Genma, I'm sure you are."

Shizune half-heartedly swatted at her little brother's shoulder, which was swiftly avoided. Genma just twitched his senbon up and down before opening the door. Naruto was mid-stride in slipping out of the door when he heard a girl's voice.

"Wait! You're him, right? You're Naruto! Oh my gosh, Sakura, come on and say hi! Where are your manners?" It was the Ino girl from the back of the shop. Shizune watched Naruto's face pale as he turned around to smile and politely greet the loud platinum blonde. Seeing her chance to pay Naruto back and then some, Shizune slipped in and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto, you didn't tell me you already made friends. And cute ones, too. Why don't you introduce me?"

Naruto's neck made a funny creaking sound when it slowly turned so he could look into his sister's perfectly masked expression. Oh, Shizune was good at putting on facades and acting. Real good. She was declaring war with this. Naruto told her as much with the burning look he gave her before turning back to the girls and saying "We haven't met yet. I'm sure they've just overheard of me thanks to Tsunade being back and all."

The blonde girl took that short interlude to step closer and introduce herself along with her companion.

"I'm so sorry, let me introduce myself. I can't believe I just called you out like that and you don't even know my name. I'm Ino Yamanaka and this here is Sakura Haruno."

"Hello, Naruto-san." Sakura chimed, putting on a pleasant face, even though Naruto could tell she was uncomfortable with being introduced to such an important person like she was.

Naruto merely dipped his head in a nod for greeting, but decided to fully introduce himself when he felt Shizune start to subtly pinch his neck. Damn his sister and her incredibly painful and sharp nails!

"I'm Naruto Senju, as I reckon you've heard. And this here is Tsunade's other lesser skilled and lesser mentioned apprentice, Shizune."

The pinch was nigh unbearable, but Naruto kept a straight face through the pain. It was worth it. The two girls in turn nodded their greeting to Shizune and Naruto was about to utter out an excuse for them to leave, but Shizune interjected and destroyed his plan.

"Listen girls, I hate to burden you so quickly after meeting, but my friend and I have an errand I just remembered I need to tend to, and it would mean the world to me if you two could take our place in showing Naruto-kun here around the village." She finished, pinching on Naruto's check.

Externally, Naruto smiled at the idea, only offering a "If it's no trouble to you girls." to what Shizune outlined. Internally, he was ready to wring his beloved sister's neck. Oh, she was _soo_ going to get it later. She was evil, plain and simple. Sure, she was sweet and kind and unbearably polite at times, but still evil. It was a core virtue she kept hidden extremely well. She must've picked it up from Tsunade or maybe she was naturally that vindictive. But Naruto would concede defeat in this battle. He still the rest of the war to pay her back.

Ino was near vibrating with joy at the chance to show Naruto around, grabbing the boy's hand and near crushing it in a bone grinding grip, before pulling his arm nearly out of socket in her rush to get out of the store before Shizune could change her mind. Sakura waved goodbye to Shizune before taking of in a fast walk to catch up with her friend, who was nearly out of sight in her eagerness to show Naruto around.

Genma gave Shizune a quizzical look as they finally left the shop, prompting Shizune to give him a "What?"

"I can't believe you just did that. That was cruel, Shizune. You lied and then baited two young girls with your own little brother."

Shizune had the decency to turn a flaming red, but managing to mewl out "It wasn't like that." in her defense. Genma gave her another looking, trying to get her to explain. Because from his point of view, Shizune had just thrown that boy out to the sharks after marinating him in lamb's blood.

"He was pestering me and was trying to embarrass me in front of you. First with the candy shop, then when introducing me to those girls. He started it!"

The man just shrugged, before asking "What now?"

Shizune took a step closer to her guide before asking "I don't know. Why don't we go find a place to sit down and share stories. I don't care what you say, 15 years is plenty time for you to get some good stories. Is there anywhere around here that you frequent that we could get a quiet table?"

Genma pondered on the request, his senbon waving around to mimic his thoughts. Finally, something came to him. "There's a Jonin bar I could get us in that's pretty quiet this time of the evening. We could get us a nice corner there. Plus, there's a chance we could run into some of our other colleges."

The idea sounded good to Shizune, who nodded her agreement. The two then set off down the street, Genma leading.

"This isn't a date, is it Shizune? This is just a 'as friends' thing, right?"

Shizune giggled at the sudden question, her hand swinging awfully close to Genma's own. "I guess you haven't changed that much either, Genma."

* * *

After spending the next hour or so being caught up to current standing in the village and relating what had happened to her the past decade or so, Tsunade finally moved onto a point that had been long in the making.

"Sensei, correct me if I'm wrong, but Naruto's standing as my apprentice and him taking the oath with my last name like he has, he won't be allowed a Jonin sensei to train him for the month before the Chunin Exam will he?"

The Sandaime nodded before answering "Unfortunately, no. I can't assign him a tutor, either, with as shorthanded as we are preparing. I'm truly glad you came back to the village in time, Tsunade. We will need this show of strength in order to keep our enemies at bay and our position as the strongest nation secure. It's also a pleasant boon that we have such a remarkable crop of rookie gennin participating in the Exams. A child from every major clan, including the last Uchiha the village has. It will surely make for a good show on Konoha that we need."

Tsunade nodded before the man continued on with the topic. "Why start him as a gennin in the first place? From what you've reported, I wouldn't mind giving him a vest today, maybe even make him Tokubetsu Jonin if you agree."

Tsunade shook her head negatively. "I want him to start out as a gennin to make sure he understands that he's not being handed anything. Naruto will have to work to get what he wants in life and I don't see why his ranking in the ninja system should be any different. He'll start as a gennin, breeze through the Exams, then we'll see where he goes from there. As a Chunin and on good standing with the village, I can really start pouring some of the older and more prized medical scrolls into him. He's made amazing progress already in standard medic-nin practice and some incredible innovations with the more irregular techniques. I honestly don't know what all he's capable of. I _do_ know that he needs to get his hands on that Oomi-te scroll we have lying around in the village library somewhere."

"The Long-Blade Hand style? If Naruto's a medic, why would he need that? That style is only useful if the practitioner were to deliberately abuse their hands until they were calcified enough to deliver debilitating chops or, if one believes the stories right, stab straight through someone with their hand. Hence, the long process of destructive finger training. Damaging his hands could be a major liability to someone who's main skill set relies on hand seals."

Tsunade just smirked before answering "Naruto's already been unknowingly training himself for this style ever since I taught him the concept of bones hardening back even stronger after being broken. The stupid brat went around for the next week or so breaking as many bones as he could. And this was before I taught him how to heal something that drastic. He did it even more when he could finally mend himself more and not beg Shizune to do it. He even developed a jutsu that harnessed some of the calcium that had built up in his kidneys to use as a source for his mending bones. He only drank milk for a year or so until he finally started to see the calcification hardness taper off. His hands are possibly three times harder than what they should be."

Sarutobi's eyebrows were raised at this, before they lowered and a tone crept into his voice. "The idea that he would hurt himself so much for stronger bones is a bit unnerving. I'm sure you've been giving him psych profiling as he progressed along, correct?"

"Yes. He's passed all of them well. It seems he has a really large interest in learning. Even things that aren't related to medicine. He soaks it all up like a sponge. It's almost reminiscent of-"

"Orochimaru." Jiraiya finished. He was still around, listening in on everything. He was the village's number one informant, after all. It was important for him to know these things.

Sarutobi sighed, before letting the subject shift yet again. "What of my wayward student, Jiraiya. I know you've been keeping an eye on his movements of late, as they suggest something is up."

Jiraiya nodded, his face grim. "Indeed. I've all but confirmed he's working with the Kazekage and planning an attack on the village during the later stages of the Exam. The Kazekage is sending his children to the Exams as participants. The youngest is the Ichibi's container. He's incredibly unstable and we will need to keep him away from Naruto at all cost. I don't care how confident you are in his skills, Tsunade. This kid is crazy and his seal is loose enough for him to be a danger to anyone lesser than upper Jonin class shinobi. The only thing we have to bank off is that he doesn't know you've returned yet. By the time he does learn of your return in the village, it will be too late for him to make any major changes in his plans."

A smirk formed on her face before the busty blonde replied "I'd love to see the look on his face when he realizes what he's got himself tangled up in now. If he really does try to attack, there's no way he's coming out of this place alive. But what shall we do with Sunagakure? If they truly intend to break our alliance, then we'll either have to break them off after the attack or take them under as our own pocket country until they rebuild under us."

Sarutobi's eyebrows clenched in a furrow as he contemplated his course of action. "I will more than likely be required to kill the current Kazekage in the attack. If he commits, then he won't stop until he's dead. I will see to that. From there, we will let Sunagakure do as they must, so long as they pay for the damage caused by the attack, ransom for any of their shinobi we take captive, and then a gesture of good faith. I'd imagine a scroll or two their famed wind techniques would suffice. Asuma would certainly enjoy that."

"So you'll just leave them to govern themselves after you cut their government's head off?" Jiraiya intoned, questioning his leader's choice.

"Sunagakure and **Kaze no Kuni **(Land of Wind) as a whole are still mindful of the large amount of assistance we gave them in the last war. I'm sure that among themselves they can elect someone who is willing to comply with us, so long as we give them the necessary mercy."

A knock at the door ended the conversation as the three legendary ninja fell silent. Sarutobi called for the knocker to enter, showing that Tsunade's students had returned, both looking disheveled.

"Rough tour?" Tsunade questioned, crossing her arms under her bust in an inquisitive stance. It wasn't like her students to let something as simple as walking around disrupt their attire and even their hair, in Shizune's case. Nothing could harm Naruto's stubborn spiky locks.

Neither answered, but Tsunade caught the hint of alcohol carried in on their scent and knew that there was a story waiting to be told. Seeing that her business was done for the day, the Sannin turned to her Hokage and asked "I assume I'm still allowed to reside in my grandfather's home? The council hasn't auctioned it off yet, have they?"

Sarutobi chuckled before replying "No, they haven't pushed for that yet. I took the liberty of allowing some of my personal maids clean it over the years. It should still be in prime condition upon your arrival."

"Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei." Tsunade then exited, her students following shortly after bowing in respect to their village leader. The old man then turned to his closest student and said "Konoha is going to have a much brighter future now, Jiraiya. This village has a lot to look forward to, despite the hardships that lie ahead."

The sage was silent as he opened the window and clambered out, but called out before he left "So long as this village has hot springs, there will always be a bright future here!"

With that, the pervert left the Hokage to his private affairs. The man gave a gesture to seemingly no-one, summoning his private Anbu. She appeared in front of him in a blur, a cat mask adorning her face to compliment her Anbu attire. "Cat, I believe I'll retire home for the night. Please see to it that the scroll detailing the Oomi-te style arrives at the Senju mansion by morning. That is all."

* * *

Tsunade's march from the Hokage Tower to the near outskirts of the village was in silence. Both apprentices knew this was bad. The forest that they had entered was dark, now that light was failing them and the sun was setting out of sight. It was hard to see the near overgrown path that was leading them to the famous Senju abode. It was one of the most secluded spots in the village and one of the most well protected. Rumor had it that it was one of the top five most secure places in the entire village.

Tsunade led them to a large set of metal gates that was the only entrance to the grounds, if the giant wooden wall was anything to go by. Naruto pounded on the wood, testing to see how thick it was. The sound it made was impressive and it was hard enough to make Naruto's hand ache some. Tsunade just shook her head at his silly inquiry and smeared a bit of blood from her thumb on the lock pad of the gate.

Healing the small cut in a mere moment, the gates swung open for Tsunade who urged her students on through. "We'll add you to the security system later. That'll save me a few headaches." With that, she ushered them in the house, which was just that. A house. The infamously secretive and esteemed estate that once belonged the first two Hokage was only a wooden home. Granted it was a beautiful and well designed home.

"Grandfather didn't care much for decoration. It'll do until I move us in to the Hokage's residence. Now that's a house."

Tsunade opened the front door similar to how she opened the gate and led them into a small foyer. The trio slipped their sandals off at the door as the only real Senju in the group showed them around. The kitchen, a small library and study, bathroom, and then finally the bedrooms. The first one would be Naruto's, the next Shizune's and the master bedroom Tsunade's of course.

In Naruto's room, the blonde was sitting at the foot of his bed, listening to Tsunade explain to him and Shizune that tomorrow she would be announced as the Sandaime's successor and as the Godaime Hokage. They would have to be on their best behavior, per usual, to reflect well on her. Tsunade finished her list of expectations and decided to settle in for the night. Naruto got off his bed and hung his traveling coat on a hanger in the small closet connected to his room. It was his one piece of clothing that he took pride in, mostly because it looked like Tsunade's.

When he did, the large nasty red mark made by Shizune's earlier pinching became noticeable and Tsunade immediately freaked. Clubbing Naruto over the head with a blow that sent him to the floor in a daze, she screamed down at him "What is that?! What is a hickey doing on your neck, young man? You've been in this village for one day and already some girl has been all over you! Who did this? Who's responsible?"

From the floor, groaning in pain, he pointed a weak, shaky finger at Shizune, who was at a loss of what happened. "It's her fault, Kaa-chan. She made me go with those girls around the village. I'm sorry. I was trying to be nice to them and the next thing I know I was in an alleyway and there was a whole gang of them. I tried to stop them and not to look at what they were showing me, but in the end…"

"I'll kill them all! Give me names, Naruto! I'll have their heads before the night's up. No one molests my son until I marry him off for money! And you!" Tsunade hissed, turning to face her older apprentice, who was terror stricken now at the rage-filled Sannin. "You are going to pay for abandoning my little Naruto-chan to hussies that would just use him to get famous as the girls that had their way with Tsunade's Senju's boy!"

Stammering, Shizune could only meekly pray to something up above for safety as she said "Tsunade, I didn't know! We were at a candy shop and those girls saw him. They seemed nice enough when they ran up to us so I offered to let them show Naruto around. I didn't imagine they would show him '_that'_ on his way around."

Naruto, who was still on the floor with a large knot on his head, was silently laughing so hard he was shaking. Payback was rich. Things had gone perfectly, even if he did get hit really hard in the process. He was holding back his mirth the best he could, rolling around in pain as his guts pleaded for him to open his mouth. He rolled and hit a dresser with a loud _thump_, catching Shizune's attention while Tsunade was ranting about evil girls and precious children.

Watching Naruto laugh brought something back to mind as she exclaimed "Tsunade-sama, he's lying! That's no hickey! It's a mark I left from pinching him for teasing me in front of Genma-kun."

"Genma-kun? No, never mind. Naruto, come here."

The blonde in question paled as Tsunade picked him up, locking a firm grip on both his arms and holding him in place as she looked at his neck. Indeed, it was only a pinch mark like Shizune said. Angry as she was, Tsunade could only take so much without hitting something. So she hit the nearest thing she could (Naruto) with the only weapon she had available. Naruto was sporting a busted nose when she tossed him on his bed, groaning in pain and clutching his bleeding sensory organ, hands already glowing green from channeling healing chakra.

Tsunade walked out of the room with a "Hmph.", but once she was out of sight, she rubbed her forehead. Man, that boy had a hard head. Shizune stuck around long enough to stick her tongue out at her surrogate brother and say "That's what you get, Naruto-chan. Good night!"

With that taunt, Naruto was left alone for the night, having nothing to do but look forward to tomorrow, when his nose would hopefully stop hurting.

* * *

AN: So I hope you guys liked it. I did. We are now in Konoha and there's still a lot to do. I introduced some plot threads that I'll continue later, but this was mostly a socializing chapter. I had a lot of fun writing Shizune and Naruto pestering each other and I think that a Naruto without the village to prank would turn to teasing whoever was around him. Thus, the sibling war of one-upness. I hope you guys enjoyed it, as I'll be doing it every now and then to make sure Naruto and Shizune, heck even Tsunade, are still a tightly knit family. That's important to me for this story. Vital, even.

I apologize in advance for any misuse of -chan and -kun. I know I'll screw that up a lot. But some will be deliberate, like with Shizune at the end, to tease Naruto. Or like with Tsunade, to symbolize Naruto being precious to her, like a girl.

Thank you, Savidge-Hokage, for pointing out a huge mistake on my part. Do it again if you see another. I appreciate that, and all other kinds of reviews as well. I can't promise when the next update for this will be, as I didn't expect to write this so quickly. Hope you all can be patient. Until then, Big Willis, out!


	3. Legendary

AN: Third chapter, up and running. We'll see how this goes! We still have lots to do to prepare for the Chunin Exams, which I'm very eager to jump into. So I hope I do this chapter justice, as it may be my last chapter before the exams start. Disclaimer: I don't Naruto or any of it's property. That's a pretty bitter statement to type. But on the bright side… Wait. There is no bright side to that disclaimer… Song Title comes from Royce da 5'9's Success is Certain album.

Chapter 3

Legendary

The crowds were wild again. The village was alive with good cheer and happiness. Celebrations had been planned to last for the rest of the week at the coronation of the village's long-lost princess to the position of Hokage. Already there were rumor starting that the hat belonged to the Senju clan more than any other family in Konoha. Naruto didn't like that rumor so well, mostly because that would place him in the lead for taking the hat from his mother.

Staring out over the crowds of adoring villagers cheering as Tsunade gave her acceptance speech made Naruto see how it could be worth it. The village loved her. It was incredibly apparent to Naruto, who was pretty good at reading people. Tsunade herself was basking in it. Knowing her, she was getting some kind of high off of this. Naruto didn't mind. She deserved it. Sarutobi and Jiraiya stood closely behind her, sponsors of her new position. Sarutobi would still be wearing the old red and white robes for a while longer though. As a candidate, the Sannin had to serve a probationary period supervised by the village elders.

The villagers didn't mind though. They were going to celebrate for her as if she had been crowned queen of the nation. Naruto smiled as Shizune draped her arm over him in a half-hug/half-slouch. She was proud of Tsunade too. Looking at the woman now, compared to what she was like even a week ago…Being back in the village had woken Tsunade back up. She had told the two over breakfast that Jiraiya and Sarutobi would be drilling her back into shape until the Chunin Exams were over, when she would officially take her position.

Tsunade paused her speech for a moment to slip a small look over to Naruto, a sly look hidden in her eyes. Her attention focused back on the masses below her, she called out in a loud, clear voice "And along with my return, I brought back another apprentice and gifted mind. Please welcome my youngest disciple, Naruto Senju, back to the village!"

Suddenly, the arm draped on his shoulder slipped off and shoved him towards Tsunade, who accepted him with open arm and firmly placed him in front of the village. Naruto's head wiped back from giving a glare at Shizune for being a traitor and stabbing him in the back, to looking out over the now dead silent villagers. A pit formed in Naruto's stomach, twisting up and making the blonde want to run off of the Hokage Tower rooftop and return to the much more private Senju estate that he woke up in this morning. A tight squeeze on his shoulder told him that such a thing would be impossible.

Naruto opened his mouth, trying to speak, only for his words to fail him. He wasn't really sure what to say anyways. He tried again, and managed to spit out something smoothly enough.

"Thank you, Konoha, for being so warm and welcoming upon my return. As much as I'm unused to the enthusiasm I received when I arrived, I certainly do appreciate it. With Tsunade-sama taking the Sandaime's place as he retires, I hope to continue being of use to her, and by extension, everyone in the village as well by enrolling as an active shinobi. Thank you."

Tsunade's firm hand loosened from around his neck as he quickly slipped out of sight from the crowd below. As he did, he couldn't help but feel a noose had been taken off of him in the process. Shizune patted him on the back and whispered that he did a good job. He gave her a sharp look, which she took with a grain of salt. She knew he didn't like what she had done to him and promised herself she'd make it up to him. Maybe buying him lunch would do the trick?

Tsunade finished addressing the village and they all began to return to their regular schedules, opening their shops and beginning their normal productivity as the most successful hidden village in the Elemental Nations. Tsunade wasn't worried about that, but at the angry blonde boy storming off, heading who knows where.

"Naruto! Come back here! Calm down and quit being such a baby about this. It had to be done."

Naruto didn't stop, didn't slow down either. Tsunade caught his stride and pulled him to a stop with a firm grip. Naruto didn't look her in the eyes, just shrugged off her hand from his shoulder and crossed his arms, waiting for her to explain or maybe even apologize.

The much older blonde looked down at her boy and tried to catch his eyes, but he was deliberately avoiding them. Sighing, Tsunade decided that maybe an apology was needed. She wouldn't of liked what happened to Naruto to happen to her.

"I'm sorry for throwing you out there like that. You did fine though. I needed you to say a few words to make sure that the positive feelings the village have for you right now are cemented. You ARE one of their heroes, after all. They should love you for what you do for them."

"Fine. I get what you were going after. You want everyone here to treat me like you do and that's great and all, but it wasn't what I wanted. You don't have to try and fight to make this place a home for me, Kaa-chan. I'm happy so long as you and Shizune-nee-chan are with me. This is your village to take care of and you can't do that if you're too worried about how happy I am with it. Throwing me in front of the entire village so I can stumble over some words so they'll like me isn't helping Konoha out any. They're just now getting you back to make up for the fact that I haven't been here to be the Jinchuuriki that this village needed. Right now it's more important for you to get back in shape to take that hat and for me to get ready to get my headband. So I'll just see you and Shizune later, alright?"

With that, Naruto strode off, leaving a confused Tsunade standing on the rooftop. Shizune was going to go over ask what had happened, but Jiraiya stepped in. He had a serious look on his face, but it was soft enough that Tsunade could take some comfort in his presence.

"Come on, Hime. You can work out getting chewed over by a brat half your size later. Preferably while sparring with yours truly. We've got to get that incredible ass of yours back in shape and it's something I'm looking forward too."

Tsunade's funk was successfully broken by the pervert's words and she lashed out in a vicious hook that would've sent Jiraiya flying if he hadn't of ducked out of the way. He chuckled before pushing the still extended arm back down to its owner's side. Tsunade, disappointed in her failed attack, shook her head and decided that she really did need to get back into shape. So she followed Jiraiya as he led them to one for the more secluded training grounds normally dedicated to the Hokage.

* * *

Making his way back to the hospital, gennin Kabuto Yakushi couldn't believe the recent developments that had happened in his village. Tsunade Senju, his master's old teammate and legendary healer, had come back to take up the mantle her grandfather and granduncle had left for her. He smirked at the chance he would have to learn from her. Or rather, from the tremendous amounts of medical technique that the woman surely had with her. He would just have to make a few more 'trips' into the Hokage Tower in order to acquire this information.

The power he could attain from such information made him quiver in anticipation, but he suppressed it before any of his peers noticed. It wouldn't do to attract any unwanted attention to himself, especially now. Orochimaru would most definitely want to hear about Tsunade's return. He would schedule a meeting with the man soon enough.

Another thing that had picked at his interest was the boy that Tsunade had showcased during her speech. Naruto, was it? He was her apprentice, apparently. The use of her last name was odd and _that_ was what bothered him. The implications spoke measures about the boy. For him to have that last name must surely mean that he had taken up Tsunade's skills and was her successor to be. At such a young age and already the boy was more than likely his equal or even his better in medicine. Kabuto would have to study him closely.

Kabuto entered in the lobby of the hospital and was caught by surprise by the immediate calling of his name when he neared the receptionist's desk. Looking up, he saw the head of long-term patient care, a doctor several years his senior and starting to gray in features, waving him down. He walked over to the man, who seemed to be anxious of something.

"Yes, Hirozuki-san? Is there something you need me to tend to?" Kabuto asked, used to the menial labor that came with being a gennin who volunteered at the hospital. As part of his guise, he was only volunteering until he became Chunin so he could devote himself full-time to being a medic ninja at the hospital. This led him to getting a lot of errand assignments, even if he had clout with his adoptive father being the captain of the Medical Corp. He didn't mind that much, as it was only proper he work his way up.

"We've received word that Tsunade-sama's disciple, the younger one, may be on his way here. I want you here to show him around. You're close enough to his age and you're one of our more talented hospital workers, so you'll represent us well, I hope?" The questioning tone was followed with an inquisitive gaze, which Kabuto met with a large smile.

"Of course. It would be my honor to show him around the hospital. I assume that while he's here, you would like me to show him to some of our more…vexing cases?"

The senior doctor nodded. "I have little doubt that the boy, even without as many years under his belt as you or I, can do work that's little short of miraculous. Tsunade's work is legendary for a reason and I can only imagine what she's passed down to Naruto. Be sure to document everything thoroughly, as we won't have many opportunities to gleam this type of information. Shizune, Tsunade's other apprentice, informed me she would volunteer occasionally as well, but would remain as Tsunade's assistant when she takes up office."

Kabuto nodded, but then ventured "Would it be likely we could talk either one of these apprentices into teaching a few classes to new medical students? I wouldn't mind sitting in on classes like that myself."

"It's a possibility, but one I wouldn't count on, Yakushi-san. Now here he is." Hirozuki broke off of their conversation in order to greet the young Jinchuuriki that had entered into the lobby, a giant scroll strapped to his back. Kabuto glanced the boy over, trying to size him up as a medic.

The boy was in shape, most likely due to whatever training Tsunade had him undergo as the standard for his own safety as a medic. If he was ever to be a field medic like Tsunade, then he would have to be quick on his feet and able to take care of himself. His hands were really odd. They weren't worn, like most ninja's were, but they looked weathered, as if they had been tortured repeatedly. Most medic nin had flawless hands, as any damage that comes to them would likely ruin their art.

He didn't seem very happy. Kabuto could read that about him past all of his pleasantries that he returned to Hirozuki. He didn't seem to really care what the man had to say to him, more interested in finding a patient to work on. Kabuto could understand that. If the boy was in a bad mood, then taking care of someone else would surely take his mind off of his trouble.

Kabuto picked up his cue to come in and show Naruto around, slipping up into the conversation with a skill beyond that of a normal person. Naruto noticed his presence and introduced himself, which Kabuto promptly returned as well. Before they could exchange any more words in pleasantry, Naruto slipped out of his proper manners and simply blurted out "You wouldn't happen to have any cases that have you stumped, would you? I need something to help clear my head and keep my hands busy, if you know what I'm saying."

Kabuto merely smiled, forgiving the show of misconduct and motioned for Naruto to follow him. At the moment, there weren't many people in the hospital that couldn't be tended to, but one in particular came to mind and the man was actually in today for his regular appointment.

Hayate Gekko had been plagued with a chronic cough that had befuddled doctors every time. It had become clear to the staff that there was some sort of agent residing inside the Jonin's lungs, but it wasn't anything the staff had ever come across before. It wasn't a bacteria or fungus, as it didn't respond in the slightest to antibiotics or antifungal. It wasn't poison, as they had already flushed him several times and it still remained, so unless there was a continual dosage being administered to him, it would've cleared his system or killed him long ago.

Kabuto himself had attempted to solve the man's case, but hadn't invested too much time into it. It was outside his area of expertise so to speak. Poisons weren't what he experimented with or researched for his master, or for his own sake. But Tsunade was famed for counteracting every poison that Suna's own legend had created in the Second Great Shinobi War. If Naruto had picked up anything from his teacher, surely he'd be able to make some sense of what was wrong with Hayate.

The two arrived at the exam room that Hayate was charted for and Kabuto knocked twice before opening the door slowly and stepping inside. "Gekko-san, I'm sorry for the wait. I've brought along a little extra help today who may have a better clue as to what is causing your cough."

With that introduction, Kabuto opened the door a little wider and revealed a waiting Naruto, a small polite smile resting on his features. It didn't take Hayate but a moment to recognize Tsunade's apprentice and the man bowed his head in respect. While it wasn't the same as the Sannin being here herself, it was still an honor to the man. Naruto's smile slipped some, but he stepped into the room and began to speak.

"There's really no need to bow. I'm here for the same reason you are, Jonin-san. Duty calls. Now if you don't mind, I'll need you to remove your flack jacket and shirt. Your file is full of past exam histories, but I'll need to feel around myself before I make any suggestions or even a diagnosis."

The man didn't speak, but merely obeyed the directions after Kabuto shut the exam room door. Midway through, he was paused by a violet fit of coughing. It subsided shortly, but Naruto could see how such type of chronic coughing was of such great concern. It was debilitating to say the least of it. The man finished removing his shirt and Naruto moved in, hands already coated in green chakra to use to examine Hayate's ailment. His hands settled in place on the man's back, directly behind where he knew the man's lungs to be. He was utilizing a standard diagnostic technique that merely pushed the healing energy into the patient's cells. Healthy cells would simply use the energy for its natural purpose and it would speed up the cell reproduction rate marginally. That was why it was unwise to use large amounts of medical chakra on people who didn't need it. But for people who had unhealthy cells…

Unhealthy cells took the energy in and tried to use it, but most often they would die off in the process. Medics were trained to have such control over their chakra that they could sense such a reaction. The better the medic, the less cells dying off before they notice. Once the medic had sensed the damaged cells, they could then begin to reproduce healthy cells to replace the unhealthy cells while killing off the damaged ones to be later assimilated by the patient's immune system.

This was the course of treatment Naruto used in this case, when the problem wasn't clearly apparent. This diagnostic technique also gave the medic a feedback on internal structures based on how the chakra was absorbed. Chakra hardly ever penetrated through bone unless it was focused to and it would sink into internal organs, giving the diagnostician a sense of imaging. They could sense what was going on internally and were internal injuries were this way. Naruto focused in and reigned his chakra directly into the network tissue that Hayate's lungs consisted off. His chakra sank into the cells lining the airways, mapping out the hundreds of tiny tunnels. Naruto slowly pushed more and more chakra in, using his chakra to tell him if there were any abnormalities in the tissue.

He found none. Scrunching up his eyebrows, Naruto thought up a list of lung conditions that could cause chronic coughing that matched what he was sensing. Nothing came to mind as most coughs were caused by irritations of the passageways, but Naruto hadn't found any of that. He'd found thick, but otherwise healthy airways.

Naruto broke the technique and backed away, picking up the file he'd left on the countertop and opening it. Scanning over the file, he questioned Kabuto "I'd assume that the past examinations have noted the thick airways? I'm seeing notes here on no success by treating it as if there was bacteria or fungus residing in his lungs. If we rules those two out as causes, then that doesn't leave us with much other option but to assume there's a poison that's subtly residing inside his lung cells and isn't causing any other damage asides the thick airways."

"Correct. We assumed as much ourselves, but the problem resided in how to treat for some poison we can't find. As Tsunade's student, I hoped that you would be able to detect what we could not and remove whatever has been plaguing Gekko-san."

Naruto's head nodded, his mind running through several scenarios. Tsunade had never been big on teaching him everything that she had known how to do. She didn't teach him any of her personal techniques, which included her skills in removing poisons and foreign substances from the body. What she did teach was far more valuable in Naruto's eyes. She gave him knowledge on a very intimate level on how the human body worked and the effects chakra could have on it. She taught him the science and let his mind work out the rest while he worked with the standard techniques that any medic would commonly use.

"So you've already taken a lung sample to check it over for any possible agent that could cause airways to thicken? I'm seeing a list of all the agents the med corp. checked for and crossed off. It's something that they've never seen before. And it's resistant to every drug Konoha has at its disposal for flushing the body. I see know why you wanted me or even Tsunade herself to look this man over. The urine sample dated back from his last visit recorded a little high, did it not? I'm not seeing a report on any follow-up by checking on Gekko-san's kidneys."

Kabuto hovered over Naruto's shoulder for a moment, looking over the file himself. He took a step back before pushing up on his glasses, even if they weren't slipping down his nose. Must've been a nervous tic of his or something.

"You're right. But the sample taken is still within the average of most ninja and Gekko-san had admitted to drinking the night before. I'm sure the doctor last time simply dismissed it as the alcohol being pushed through quickly due to the flushing of his system. And that was probably what it was."

Naruto shook his head. "What he was flushed with couldn't move alcohol remnants that quickly. Tsunade made it a point to drill into my head what would clear her out the fastest in case she ever had to get over a hangover in a hurry to get away from debt collectors. Whatever got cleared out wasn't alcohol, which means whatever he drank the day before asides that came out higher than normal in the sample."

At this, Naruto turned to address Hayate himself, finally tearing his eyes away from the file. "You wouldn't happen to know what you drunk earlier that day, would you? Or do you at least remember if the next piss you took after that exam burning some? If it did, then that would mean your kidneys are having a hard time filtrating your fluid intake. If that's the case, then your body may be taking in more of certain chemicals than it should, which in turn could lead to the lung involvement if the chemicals are soaked into that organ system."

"My girlfriend has had me drinking this special tea for my coughing. I drink it whenever I'm not out with my buddies. I've got some of the tea bags with me if you would like to see them. She has me take them with me for missions all the time. I'm getting sick of drinking the stuff, to be honest. It tastes nasty and smells even worse. It was her mother's family secret for curing coughs, so she passed it down to me and now I've been drowning in the stuff. You won't tell her that I've said this, right? Doctor patient confidentiality and all that, right?"

The nervous tone Hayate took made Naruto laugh before answering "I don't even know your girlfriend, Gekko-san. And if I did, I would be obligated to keep this information confidential at your request as she's not your Hokage or direct commanding superior, is she?"

Hayate shook his head before fishing an odd colored tea bag out of his supply pouch on his hip. Naruto took it from the man and began to read the label for active ingredients. While he looked it over, he asked the man "Just how much of this stuff do you drink? Drinking a large amount of any kind of tea could damage your kidneys after a certain time. You certainly need to cut back on however much you are currently drinking and drink water instead."

"Sure thing. I'd be glad to." Hayate answered, looking relieved at the chance to get out of drinking the tea. Kabuto on the other hand wasn't quite as satisfied. He couldn't believe how this exam had taken the turn it had.

"Naruto-san, surely you can't believe that _tea_ of all things is causing such a cough? Even if he drank a gallon a day, there's no way it could harm his kidneys to the point that other organs began to absorb excess."

To Kabuto's surprise, Naruto just nodded his head and smiled while looking down at the small package in his hands. "You're right. Tea couldn't do that. Hayate, you don't need any sweeteners with this tea, do you? When it boils, it's already sweetened, is it not?"

Hayate confirmed this with a nod. Kabuto was confused by the question, but was even more confused when Naruto asked "Kabuto-san, try and soak Hayate-san's marrow in chakra."

Kabuto wasn't sure how in the world this request had anything to do with Hayate's cough, but he decided to humor the boy a little. Kabuto placed a firm hand on Hayate's arm and began to push medical chakra. He met the expected resistance of bone as his chakra began to flow around it through much less denser tissue. He focused his chakra and began to seep it through the layers of calcium in order to reach the marrow, but found more resistance there than expected. In fact, there was so much resistance that Naruto had asked him to stop before he had even reached the bone marrow.

"I see you've discovered a problem. Hayate currently has too much calcium in his system due to his kidney stress. What I believe to be the root of this problem is this right here." Naruto claimed, lifting the bag some to show it off. "Hayate, you reported that your coughing started about a week after a failed attempt at using a Katon technique. During that week, I assume your throat was sore. You probably made mention of it to your girlfriend, who immediately started you on her family's tea. Does this sound right to you?"

Hayate nodded his head, his mouth partially open in surprise. "How'd you know all of that? Is it in the file?"

Naruto grinned before shaking his head and laughing. "This is all guess work so you need to correct me if I'm wrong. You started to drink the tea religiously as your girlfriend requested and your sore throat disappeared, right?" A nod made Naruto continue to his captivated audience. "From there, I'll break down the science of what happened in your body. Your poor kidneys weren't used to the sudden large intake of tea and entered a stressed state that they still haven't recovered from. This wouldn't be that big of a problem if the tea you were drinking was just tea."

Hayate's eyebrows quirked at this as he asked "That stuff isn't tea?"

Naruto continued his explanation "What you've been drinking is tea that has an abnormal sweetener in it. Acephate. It's commonly used for ant poison and is noted for it's horrible smell. When your lungs were recovering from the irritation caused by your failed jutsu, your body naturally began to supplement the lungs with extras in order to help it recover. Your kidneys began to divert some of the calcium into your lungs. After a while, your lung irritation faded, but the calcium had already coated most of your airways, hardening them. This made them too firm for a proper aspiration, which leads to-" Naruto was cut off by a violet hacking cough from Hayate, who sheepishly apologized for it afterwards.

"Led to that horrible coughing. Since then, your lungs have been trying to get rid of that calcium naturally but can't due to your kidneys feeding it directly to them in their stressed state. Your bones have picked up a lot of the surplus calcium, otherwise your lung would get really hard and you would die. But you still have a cough. Kabuto's attempt to get past the calcium coating your humerus was proof enough for me along with this tea bag's list of active ingredients."

Naruto broke off for a moment to take a breath before finishing up. "On the down side, there isn't anything we can do to get that excess calcium out of your system safely. On the bright side, you will do it naturally so long as you quit drinking the tea and give your kidneys time to recover. Kabuto can schedule you an appointment in a few weeks to check back up and make sure I'm right. Thank you for your time and compliance when answering my questions. It's been a pleasure."

With that, Naruto slipped out of the exam room, closing the door behind him so Hayate could get dressed in relative privacy. He smiled to himself at the diagnosis as he was sure that no one asides him would've ever figured it out until Hayate had started to develop much more serious symptoms like renal failure. It certainly was an odd case.

Naruto felt tons better after solving the case than he did entering the hospital. He wasn't mad anymore over Tsunade manhandling him in front of the village or Shizune betraying him. He still didn't want to go talk to them, but he wasn't mad. That was a start.

Naruto made his way back towards the receptionist's lobby, hoping to ask her where the hospital's classes where or maybe where the hospital's library was. He had long since imagined all of the information he could learn from the library here if it was anything like what Tsunade had mentioned in the past. It surely held a treasure trove of information that Tsunade hadn't covered with him or didn't have the material to cover while they were traveling. That library would be where Naruto could finally finish his studies. After that, Naruto felt he could then escape the shadow that Tsunade had cast over him as the greatest medic in the world. It was one of his goals to be seen at least as her equal in the medical arts and perhaps surpass her even. If he lived long enough, that is.

Naruto had made it to the receptionist's desk by the time Kabuto caught up with him. He was near out of breath and it surprised Naruto by the sudden praise the older teen gave him. "That was incredible, Naruto-san! How'd you know that the Acephate could be used as a tea sweetener if it's an insecticide? Or that it had so much calcium?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes in a smile, thinking back on the memory for a moment before answering "When we were in **Cha no Kuni **(Tea Country) for a while, Tsunade stopped at a tea house run by an old lady so she could gamble. I was too young to gamble myself so I pestered the old lady running the place. She taught me a little about teas. At first she let me sample a bunch of them and pick which ones I liked before she would tell me about them. That particular sweetener was the last on my list, so she told me the most about it. It was just coincidental that Hayate's girlfriend gave him the same kind."

Kabuto shook his head in amazement, playing his role perfectly. Naruto just waved it off and asked "I was gonna ask where the hospital's library was, but I reckon you still want me to help you with a few more cases? I don't mind if you do. My studying can wait a bit if someone needs my help."

The receptionist popped her head up from the files she was looking over, sorting them into a particular bin. She held her hand out for the file in Kabuto's hand, mentioning "That Rock Lee kid came by with his team. They're in exam room 4 waiting to be treated for a training incident. Lee got hurt again. I swear Maito Gai pushes those kids too hard, especially Lee. But beyond that, Kabuto, you may want to see if Naruto can do anything for Lee's condition."

Kabuto nodded. "Certainly."

With that, Naruto fell in step behind Kabuto again as they made their way to exam room 4. They arrived after the short walk and Kabuto went through the same formality again when it came to entering and introducing Naruto. Naruto entered and looked over his presumed patient.

This Lee kid looked to be a serious sourpuss if the expression on his face was anything to go by. He didn't want to be here and he certainly didn't want to be with these people. The only reason he was here at all was because he had been ordered to and because he didn't want to return home just yet.

The boy had long hair behind him in a single ponytail and while he didn't have the most masculine features, the glare that was fixed on him made Naruto certain it was a guy. Wait. That glare. Those eyes were missing pupils. That meant this was a Hyuuga, not the Lee kid. And it would also explain why he looked so moody. Tsunade had told him that they were all prideful, even to a painful extent, due to their status in the village and in the world.

Naruto ignored the Hyuuga for a moment to find Lee. That was the real reason he was here after all, not to read body language of an angry teen. He saw someone by the window out of the corner of his eye and turned to get a better look about the same time they did. Naruto caught eyes with her and suddenly wished he hadn't offered to help Kabuto. This was the girl. The girl that had followed Tsunade on the rooftops when she came into the village and had glared at him the entire way. She soon realized who he was and his displeasure at him being here became apparent.

Kabuto noticed the bad moods of Team Gai as well as a spike of subtle Killing Intent directed at the blonde. It was subtle and the girl probably didn't know she was doing it herself, but Kabuto noticed. Naruto probably did to. Coughing a bit to break the ice, Kabuto then asked "Where have you two hid Lee at?"

Naruto didn't dare let his eyes slip off of the girl staring him down, lest she try something. He didn't trust her, even with that headband on her head symbolizing her allegiance. He tried to memorize her features, as well as her appearance just in case.

She was a pretty girl. Her hair was done in buns on each side of her head and she wore a pink blouse styled with trim and green shinobi pants. She had a large amount of pouches stored on her legs, including some that looked like they would fit scrolls. He noticed before her hands clenched that they were much rougher on the palms than most shinobi. It was odd because usually the knuckles callused well before the palms scarred, but this girl's palms bore most of the damage. Before Naruto could further analyze the girl, a large amount of green blocked his view and he had to recoil some.

"Greeting, Naruto-san! It is a great honor to meet one of Lady Tsunade's disciples. I am Rock Lee and these two are my youthful teammates, even if their fires have been dampened by such an unfortunate training accident. I ruined our planned afternoon of youthful training by stepping on a discarded shuriken."

Naruto took another step back to get a better look at who was talking to him and the sight disturbed him. Rock Lee was taller than him. From his feet up to his neck was green, covered in an elastic skintight jumpsuit. Orange leg warmers covered his lower claves and medical tape covered his hands thoroughly. His hair was a shiny black, cut like a bowl around his head. His eyes were rather large and were enshrouded by massively thick black eyebrows. Did this guy not own a mirror?

"Alright then, Lee-san. Hop onto the table their so I can prop your foot up to look at. This should take too long at all. While I do that, Kabuto-san here can tell me more about your special condition that he wants me to look into." Naruto directed, pulling up a stool to perch on next the examination table.

Kabuto pushed his glasses further up his nose and began to explain what he could, taking a look at the file to double-check his statements. "Lee-san here has been unable to properly mold chakra for since he was a child in the academy. Any attempts for the chakra to leave his system have been met with some type of resistance that makes it impossible to control. As such, Lee is unable to use any genjutsu or ninjutsu techniques and is forced to rely entirely on taijutsu."

Naruto had removed Lee's sandal to get proper access to the injury, but pushed the foot aside to look up into Lee's face. "You're a ninja that can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu? How does that work, exactly?"

Lee's face brightened at the chance to proclaim his dream and he did so. Quite youthfully, in his personal opinion. Giving Naruto a thumbs up and flashing him a brilliant smile that seemed to chime in some type of background theme, Lee then answered "With hard work and dedication, I've developed my taijutsu under the strict tutelage of Gai-sensei! I strive to be a splendid ninja, even without other shinobi arts at my disposal."

Naruto focused back on the foot in front of him. He first started by sending foreign chakra into the gash, feeling for foreign substances. An infection wasn't likely to harm a ninja, who's natural immune system was superior to a civilian, but it wouldn't do to take chances. While he was doing this, he said "I'm sure you're already a pretty strong gennin. The fact that you got a headband without any ninjutsu must mean you did exceptionally well on the other parts of the academy test, right? I never took them, but I've heard that you _have_ to pass the ninjutsu portion to make it."

Lee's head vibrated up and down at the praise. "Thanks to Gai-sensei and his training, my youthful flames burn brighter than ever. I'll prove that hard work can surpass natural talent and genius!"

Lee had looked over at Neji when he said this, who wasn't paying his teammate the slightest bit of attention, but rather the blonde examining his foot. In Neji's eyes, he couldn't see how the boy in front of him had come from the street urchin he once was in Konoha. A troublesome orphan of no value. A nuisance. And now he claimed the tile of Senju, the most prestigious and powerful clan in the history of Konoha, even if it's numbers had dwindled to near nonexistent. This boy was out of his place.

Even as the son of the Yondaime, Neji had seen and heard some of the stories surrounding the boy before he vanished from the village. He was talent less in any ninja training he attempted and was noted for being an obnoxious brat. Despite his genealogy, it seemed destiny had bred him a failure and even now Neji didn't believe that he was much of anything, apprentice of a Sannin or not.

Naruto noticed the looks he was getting, both from Tenten and Neji, but decided to ignore the girl and include Neji in the conversation. "I'd imagine that with you being a Hyuuga, you're a taijutsu specialist yourself, correct? You and Lee must help each other out a lot in training."

"Hardly." Neji replied evenly. Lee picked up for his teammates lack of conversational skills and added "Neji-kun here is considered a prodigy in the Hyuuga's **Juken** (Gentle Fist). The type of taijutsu he uses isn't trained the same as what you or I would do, Naruto-sensei."

Naruto chuckled a bit, before commenting "I was thinking more along the lines of the heated spars you two have. The rivalry between you two must be pretty serious. For Lee to be so preoccupied with the spar that he didn't even see your third teammate's discarded shuriken must mean it matters dearly to him. I'd bet you keep him o his toes too, Lee-san. With your type of enthusiasm, you must make for a relentless attacker. "

Tenten's edginess slipped enough for her to speak as she asked "How'd you know those two were the ones sparring? And what makes you think it was my shuriken that I left lying around?"

Naruto began to gather chakra and pull the layers of flesh back together in Lee's foot, not answering immediately. When the wound began to close properly, he leaned back enough to give her a proper look around Lee and said "Your hands told me. You've got them slightly clenched, which indicates your emotional state is higher than it should be. Which means that either you think his foot injury is serious, or you're guilty of something. You wouldn't be as guilty if it had happened while you and Lee were sparring, as the shuriken wouldn't have been there by a careless mistake on your part. There's also the fact that Lee wouldn't of stepped on his own shuriken, Hyuuga members aren't prone to use weaponry, and your palms are really ugly, indicating heavy use of leather grips, like what a weapons expert would expect."

Neji interjected at this point, now interested in the remarkable observational skills this street rat was showing. "You're making some very astute observations, but they are based merely on assumptions and guesses. You don't expect anything you said to actually be true, do you?"

Naruto didn't answer the older boy's question, instead choosing to remain silent and keep his witty retort to himself. Lee must not have caught on to the distaste that his teammates had for Naruto, as he defended the blonde. "But Neji, everything he said _is_ true. That was Tenten's shuriken I stepped on while we were having our weekly spar and she does aim to be Konoha's next weapons expert."

"Shut up, Lee! You don't have to make me look bad! And it's not like he has any business knowing what we were doing anyways." Tenten sniped, making Lee balk at the sudden harsh tone his teammate took.

Naruto responded with "Actually, Lee was doing a good thing confirming my guess. Medics need a good history on their patients in order to ensure the best care possible. In this case it didn't really matter much, but if Lee began to step on shuriken often, I'd be more likely to test him to make sure his mental state was as it should be and there wasn't something preventing him from remembering to avoid shuriken on the ground. I also have the right to refuse a patient if they are unwilling to cooperate with my questions."

Kabuto's voice entered in the conversation from the corner he had stationed himself in, watching the four interact. "Actually Naruto, that right doesn't extend to medics enlisted into the armed services of Konoha's military."

"Which doesn't include me at the moment. They're still working on getting me a headband. In the mean time, I still have the rights of any civilian doctor." Naruto finished, gesturing to his unadorned forehead where his headband would be if he had one.

"Now about your other condition. I'd like you to try channeling some chakra for me, Lee-san. Just circulate some through your system, don't try to expel any of it. I need to see if it's your pathways that are damaged or your tenketsu themselves."

Lee began to do as requested, his hand slipping into the ram seal. Naruto felt the spike of chakra flare in the gennin and began to supplement into his own charka into Lee's pathways. This could be dangerous for some medics who weren't careful. Pushing foreign chakra into a person's pathways could cause serious harm as the body tried to defend itself. But Naruto slipped healing chakra into Lee, letting the gennin's chakra sweep it through his own system subtly as it circulated.

While Lee's charka circulated the medical chakra around, Naruto focused on what he was sensing from his own chakra. He was looking for any abnormality or defect in the pathways, any hitch or haltering of the natural circulation. He didn't find any.

Dispersing his residual chakra in Lee to simply dissipate, Naruto concluded that the pathways were fine. So that would leave the much more troublesome problem. Lee's tenketsu were to blame for his condition. And now that Naruto knew this, his face grew grim. He hated delivering news like this, but Lee had likely head it before. He looked into the gennin's dark eyes and met his gaze fully before speaking.

"Lee-san, you can stop channeling chakra. Your pathways are healthy, so the problem lies in your tenketsu points. There isn't much of anything that we can do to help your tenketsu points at this point. Your pathways have developed too much for us to reset the amount your tenketsu points can release. It would be a dangerous procedure in the first place, but as you are now, it's too late for anything to be done. Your condition is permanent."

Lee's head dipped for a moment, before he caught Naruto's gaze for a moment and said "Thank you for your time and help, Naruto-sensei."

Tenten didn't take the news as well as Lee had, snapping at the boy. "Don't thank him, Lee! He didn't do anything! This guy's a joke. He's been wasting Tsunade-sama's time for years now and all he has to show for it is a being able to heal baby scratches. He's not worth our time either. Let's just go."

Tenten grabbed Lee by the shoulder and pulled him up from the table, marching towards the door, with Neji not far behind her, only for Naruto to bar the entrance with his arm.

"Let us go! It's obvious you're too inept to do anything for us. I'm gonna go get Tsunade-sama herself to fix Lee."

Naruto would've laughed at that statement if he wasn't so angry at the insults he had just been labeled with. "Who in the hell do you think you're talking about, girl? I'm inept? A joke? As if it was my fault that your friend here has a condition that there is nothing to be done for? As if Tsunade's gonna tell you anything that I didn't? Lee can't be helped! He's doing the best he can with his condition and that is all that can be expected of him. Don't you dare blame any of that on him or me for not being able to fix him. If you have a problem with my diagnosis, that's fine, but you will not stand there and act like I don't know what I'm talking about!"

Naruto's rebuttal sparked an even greater ire in Tenten and she all but shouted back "You're just some runt that got kicked out of the village because you weren't worth anything back then and you still aren't now! You may have tricked Tsunade into wasting years training you, but I was in the same orphanage you were. I know you weren't anything but a troublemaker. So no, I won't deign you with being treated like you're one of Tsunade's rightful students because you aren't!"

"I'm not one of her worthy student because I'm an orphan? Because I acted like a child when the village decided to spit on me and kick me around? I'm oh so sorry that I left the village and found someone that actually cared about me enough to take care of me and they found out I wasn't just trash. Now I'm one of the greatest medic in the world's apprentice and even if you think I should've stayed to wallow in the gutters and let someone like you be her apprentice, I'm still worth a thousand times what you are to Tsunade. I'm her son first and foremost, even without the training. That's why she gave me her name, because I'm worth it to her!"

"You tricked her! There's no way a guy, especially one like you, deserves to be her student. No man will ever surpass her. She's the greatest medic of all time and some snot-nosed brat like you shouldn't even be allowed to clean the mud off of her sandals!"

"You're more worthy than I am, I take it? Let me go tell her that. I'm sure she'd be dying to meet the girl who's suddenly infinitely more valuable than I am, because she treats me like I'm her entire world. I'm the reason she came back to the village in the first place! So tell me why you're so worthy to take my spot as Tsunade's apprentice? Because you're a girl? Or because I was just Naruto Uzumaki back then, a failure?"

"A failure will never change, Naruto-san. It is best you accept that fact now, rather than further delude yourself into being worthy of the last name you now bear in place of your old one. You are still that same pitiful child you were years ago, struggling to even meet the bare minimum of standards. No matter how hard you've tried to hide it with a new look and a new name, you're still the same. No amount of lineage or special treatment will change that."

Neji had spoken, stepping past Lee and peering at Naruto with his pale white eyes. It was eerie and Naruto didn't deny that. But he met that gaze steadily before promising "I can guarantee that I'm not that same boy. I'm the guy who'll grow up and outdo Tsunade Senju in every way and make her proud. I'm amazed by how superior two low-class gennin think they are when they meet strangers for the first time and I'm glad Lee's not that way. Otherwise, I would never have come back here. But if you two ever feel like you're brave enough to prove that I'm not worth Tsunade's training or that I can't live up to the Senju name, please, I beg you, step up and prove me wrong. It'll be eye opening, I'm sure."

With that, Naruto spun on his heels and stormed out of the exam room. He turned sharply and rounded the corner, walking at a furious pace until he blew off some steam. He wasn't in any condition to treat patients and his control would surely be shot with his pissy attitude now. His best bet would be to find the damn library like he had set out to do in the first place.

So he walked around for near half an hour until he did. The doors to it were large and heavy, but the two Anbu that were posted there let him pass without a word. Anbu were designated to guard several specific locations in the village, with the hospital being one of them. In the hospital, the library was very important to safeguard, as not only did it house most of Konoha's medical texts, but it was also home to every medical record that Konoha kept on file unless it was classified to a more secure location in the Hokage Tower.

When he began to wander up and down the aisles of text, his bad mood had mostly blown off again. He had already told himself that he should've expected people to remember him and that not everyone would like him. He'd left a lot of bad memories and a bad impression of himself when he left. But it still infuriated him that others thought he didn't deserve what he had fought so hard for. He'd struggled so hard to get his chakra reserves under his own control and pushed himself harder than should've been possible. He'd exhausted himself many a night until he passed out in his attempts to prove himself to Tsunade and to everyone else.

In a small way, he could understand where Neji and Tenten were coming from. They had yet to see the fruits of his hard work. They didn't understand how far he had had come. Naruto looked over all of the texts that the library housed before adding to that thought, thinking _'And I've still got so far to go.'_

AN: This wasn't how I originally planned to end the chapter, but I feel that this is a good spot. The next chapter, I've decided over the course of writing this, _will _be the month period before the training exams.

I hope that the medicine scene with Hayate was enjoyable and I want to note that Acephate is an actual product that can be used to poison ants and in teas. It also had a horrible stench. As for whether or not one's lungs could actually harden some because of excess calcium being diverted there from ailing kidneys…I may have fudged the biology part a little. Sorry.

I've always seen Tenten as a bit envious of Sakura for being Tsunade's apprentice, because she always wanted to learn from Tsunade herself. But she got over it and settled for being a strong kunochi her way. The same will happen here. She'll eventually get over the fact that Naruto, a troublemaking mischievous orphan and a male to boot, is her idol's apprentice. It might be after he smears a little dirt in her face, but I will not bash Tenten in this story.

Neji, I feel, is much more believable with his destiny mindset. He knows what Naruto was like as a kid and doesn't see him any different now than he was then. Naruto will have to prove him wrong somewhere along the way. Maybe in the Chunin Exams?

Thanks for the support this story has gotten and I hope you continue to enjoy. Review and let me know. Also, send me a message if any of you know a term to properly describe medical chakra. I haven't found anything yet. So until next update, BigWillis, out!


	4. Work Hard, Play Hard

AN: So this is going to be the chapter I toe the line with you guys. I've put it off long enough, and now I finally have to start showing just where Naruto is skill-wise for his training and preparation. I hope you guys aren't too frustrated by this, but remember I am basing this off of what Sakura could learn from Tsunade in 2 ½ years. Naruto's had even more time and got to develop from her directly. So I plead that readers don't see him as overpowered when compared to his fellow gennin. He's gonna do some great stuff, but he'll have to in order to make up for the lack of proper ninja training he's had. Disclaimer: I don't own any blonde-haired blue-eyed boys. Slavery is illegal where I come from. So rights to Naruto still remain within his master's hand. Song Title goes to the radio hit of Wiz Khalifa's.

Chapter 4

Work Hard, Play Hard

"Tsunade-hime, is it really best that we leave Naruto to teach himself? I know that you're not allowed to get involved and all, but we've got a hundred ninja who'd stab puppies in order to teach him. And yet he's sitting in a library reading books. Someone needs to work with him and make sure he's physically up to par and at least give him some experience before he runs into those exams."

Jiraiya was standing still, letting the cool night air cool him down after the warm-up spar between him and his old teammate. The woman herself was regulating her breath, getting it back under control in short order before asking "Wasn't it you who thought these exams were gonna be good for the brat? That'd he'd come out the better for it? Naruto's gonna come out of these exams smelling like roses. I'll admit that I never taught him much of the physical arts to being a shinobi, but Naruto's mind is well prepared. He'll know what to do."

Jiraiya merely shrugged before answering "I believe you when you say he's smart enough for the exams, but even a Nara can't be a shinobi without taijutsu. At this point in a shinobi's career, that's all most gennin depend on. So they're gonna be coming at him left and right with taijutsu and the boy's never been in a actual fight in his life. I'm a little uncomfortable with sending him into that war zone without some experience getting in a few scraps under his belt."

"What do you suggest, Jiraiya? I can't get any of the Jonin instructors to teach him, as they can't afford to train their gennin's enemy. The only one I would trust to anyways is Gai, and I'd have to kill all of his students before I'd let Naruto be around them. Not like he'd want to anyways."

Jiraiya settled into a more open stance, ready to begin again with his partner. She did likewise, nodding her head in a silent agreement to start. From that moment on, the field was further riddled with monstrous craters and destruction as the two near-invisible titans clashed. They were moving at a pace most ninja could only hope to attain one day and they were still warming up. While they exchanged blows, or avoided them in Jiraiya's case, they continued their discussion.

"Sarutobi-sensei had a tutor teach his grandson a few things before the boy got old enough to get into the Academy. Ebisu, or something like that. You could talk him into helping the gaki out with his taijutsu easily."

Between the loud clashes of flesh pummeling rock or tree, Tsunade laughed. "Jiraiya, when I tell you I'm not worried about Naruto coming out of these exams in one piece, I mean it. The boy is gifted. He's taken everything I've taught him and made the most out of it. He's even picked up a few things Shizune never had the aptitude for."

Jiraiya eyed the red diamond marker on his sparring partner's forehead. It was actually the basis of a sealing formula that was beyond even him. He'd made some guesses at it, but his teammate had truly stumped him when she made that thing.

"You taught him how to do _that_? Every technique you have that branches out from that seal is considered an S-class technique just because of the chakra required. Does he have the reserves for that? Oh, what am I saying? He's an Uzumaki and a jinchuuriki on top of that. He'll have more chakra than me and you both by the end of his growth. But still. Just because you taught him your trump card doesn't mean everything's hunky dorey. He can't use that for every fight he's in."

"Right. That's why I got around to getting him signed on the slug contract. Katsuyu could protect him from most anything that could harm him until I got there. I'm sure Naruto can use her to his benefit in the exams. He's also come up with a few things of his own. I haven't been able to pry all of the details, but one jutsu in particular is near A-rank."

"I see." Jiraiya started. He was in the process of dodging a fast barrage of punches, all the while trying to pick at openings that presented themselves to him. He was having a hard to doing just that under the current pressure. "You intended for him to take you title as well as your clan name."

"Well it only seemed fair." Tsunade stated. "He'll give the slugs an actual Sage instead of someone who just dabbled around with them. Naruto will be the first person to be a true Slug Sage. But that's years off down the road from now, Jiraiya. For now, he's just gonna be a brilliant little gennin that's gonna kick everyone's ass in that exam." With that, she finally made contact with Jiraiya's forearm, sending him skidding back as he nursed his now sore arm.

* * *

Tired. That is what he was. But it was worth it, in his eyes. He had found the treasure trove and plundered it thoroughly. His quest was far from complete, as aisles upon aisles of information still lay before him. It would take weeks, maybe even months to properly go over all of the information stored in the hospital library. If he hadn't been plowing through it at an inhuman rate, kudos to his own brand of ninjutsu. Instead, it would take him a week, tops, at the cost of him being in the state he was in now, only magnified by a hundred.

Right now the room was spinning. He was lying on the floor, face up as he watched pages of research and notes flutter about in a mysterious draft. They flew about in a hap hazardous flight, only to settle lightly over his face. He blew them into flight again with but a huff of breath, all he could muster. His head was swimming and when he closed his eyes, they were filled of images that he had read over. It all flashed before him, jumbling letters into clouded arrays of words, before disassembling and reforming, repeating the process.

It was the usual result from this particular technique, one that he didn't use to often for this very reason. That, and there was always the chance he killed himself in the process of activating it. Naruto had based this jutsu off of a peculiar trait he'd observed in a young girl close to his age that lived in a small fishing village that he, his sister, and his mother had stopped at on their way through the country. The girl was abnormal. She was often picked on for being a bookworm by the other kids of the village. With schooling being limited, they mocked her for remembering everything that she ever read and being so smart.

Naruto had been interested by the rumors and decided to meet the girl while he was in town. What he had found was something astonishing. The girl's memory was nigh perfect. She could recall the exact date and time of everything in her life and recite anything she had read. Naruto had tested this thoroughly with a small assortment of medical journals. He meticulously slipped a fragile net of chakra into her cerebral cortex as she read. He studied for nearly two hours at what was happening in her head as the memories stored themselves permanently inside her long-term memory. Years later, after several trials and a few near scares, he had replicated the process.

It was a rough and unrefined version, filled with danger and promising a major migraine as a reward, but the results had been astonishing. For ten minutes at a time, once a day, Naruto could stimulate his memory storage process to make sure he never forgot anything he read. He could pour over the most difficult of texts and be able to recall it perfectly later.

It wasn't a technique he shared with Tsunade or Shizune, as both of them would see the risk behind the jutsu as much too great. But Naruto had faith in his technique. There was an 80% chance of success at his current skill level. That was good, but Tsunade would ban him from using the technique nonetheless. The 20% probability had the chance to cause a large amount of irreversible brain damage to his memory system. Naruto didn't mind the risk. He was a great gambler and had great luck to boot.

The room quit spinning above him, settling into a proper order. A table jumped out at him from his peripherals. It was stacked high with the books he'd just speedily glanced through. His photogenic memory had certain boons as well asides the immediate function, as Naruto was near certain that the effects of the jutsu could become more permanent, supplementing his day to day memory. He had no way to test it, but in theory, it made sense. Chakra flow would become more and more natural to that particular region of his brain, stimulating the cells there into higher efficiency.

Naruto had read somewhere that it was similar to what the Nara clan was infamous for. They would settle into a certain position to collect themselves, before creating a solution for whatever trouble was plaguing them. Naruto did the same after the jutsu wore off, giving his mind a moment or two to adjust to the information that had just been permanently wedging into his mind.

He sat upright, letting the blood drain from his head, before crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap. He slowed his breathing, taking deliberate breaths as his eyes closed. Willingly calling back the information that had just been stored was a weird feeling. It was remembering something that he didn't actually know, so he couldn't place the feeling. It was unnatural. But he adjusted to the feeling and began to recall everything that jumped out to him.

Theorems on chakra properties, alternative medical practices, the use of elemental chakra in the healing practices, and even the effects of fuinjutsu in healing arts all came to mind. A few notes of research interested him, collaborating with his own study on bone density. They noted how those with higher chakra reserves developed a denser bone due to chakra residually soaking into the bone marrow and coating it.

Another bit of research stuck out to him, a discontinued project being developed sometime during the Third Great Shinobi War. There had been a group of doctors in need of organ donors for the wounded, and they began to test several ideas on how to clone organs for replacing the failing ones of shinobi. Livers, hearts, lungs, or all sorts of other vital parts to the body critical for a shinobi. The idea was sound. The methods of actually conducting this were much less so.

The first attempts to do so were with various clones. These jutsu proved unreliable as the clones either couldn't survive the surgery or they were composed of a substance that wasn't suited for replacing a human organ. Two methods showed the most promise, but had failed to pan out. **Kage Bunshin **was the first method. The jutsu was described in the notes and various attempts to create a fuinjutsu to make a sustainable clone that didn't dispel, but there was no success. The other method was **Chishio Bunshin **(Blood Clone). This idea actually held some results, but was later discarded due to the requirements that jutsu had. The jutsu required a large amount of the user's blood, thus it's name, for it to work properly. Critically wounded shinobi in need of organs couldn't afford to spare the blood, thus this method was scrapped as well.

Both of those jutsu sounded incredibly useful to Naruto. The descriptions given in the research made them out to be very helpful in avoiding direct combat, something that he needed to do as much as possible as a medic. Especially the **Chishio Bunshin**. At the cost of needing enough blood to be equivalent to what the user had in his body, the jutsu made up for by making the toughest clone out there. Clones could last for an indefinite amount of time, didn't require any of the original's chakra after the jutsu was preformed, and could do anything the original could. They had their own chakra reserves and were independent people from the original. According to the research, it was a plus that they didn't have the memory feedback effect of **Kage Bunshin**, whatever that was.

The stray thought brought images of other research notes he had read to the forefront of his mind. The notes claimed to have identified the cause of Kage Bunshin being able to send memories back to the original when they dispelled. It had something to do with a property of chakra that 'recorded' the memories in place of an actual mind. When the chakra remains of the clone returned to the original, the memories did as well. The research notes hadn't been validated and must've been filed improperly for them to end up in the hospital library. Normally that sort of information would be sent the Konoha Archives, where most of the village's recorded information was stored.

Naruto finished sifting through the memories, before pushing himself out of his position and rubbing his legs, which had gone asleep on him. Standing, he glanced at one of the room's skylights, judging the time.

'_One o'clock. Kaa-san is gonna be pissed. I might as well not go back home until she leaves again.'_

Tsunade had scolded him earlier in the week for staying in the hospital's library too long. None of the staff had minded, so when he got caught up in his reading, he didn't watch the time. He had half-heartedly been looking for something to possibly help with Lee's case, but nothing had been found. It was likely that nothing ever would be found. It had been a few days since he had his encounter with that team of gennin, and he'd focused on his training ever since.

It was a silly motive, but he had pried and found that their sensei, one of the more prominent Jonin in the village, had registered them for the Chunin Exams. So Naruto had been driving himself to read everything he could in order to prepare himself for the exams and his probable encounter with them. Thinking back on the disregard that Neji and Tenten had shown at the skills he'd attained still made him mad. The coming exams would give him time to showcase some other skills and rub them in their face.

Naruto glanced at the dark sky through the skylight again, before heading out of the library, slinging the scroll he'd received from an Anbu member earlier that week onto his back. He'd yet to read it, as he'd been sidetracked by the hospital library. The lobby still had people scurrying around, tending to patients as needed. He slipped away from them without causing anyone to notice. A quick jump placed him on the rooftop of the nearest building. He looked up at the sky, getting his directions based on the stars. He'd learned that while sailing with Tsunade to another port town famous for it's annual gambling festivals. Gathering his bearings in the dark, he headed towards the nearest training grounds he knew.

He kept his eyes sharp, channeling chakra to them to stimulate his pupil, making it adjust to the nighttime better than the normal eye would. He began to speed up as his vision cleared, entering into a small thicket of trees before reaching a clearing lined with training targets. Naruto took of the scroll, as well as his overcoat, folding it up neatly and placing the scroll on top of it. It wouldn't do to dirty up the scroll, as it was doubtlessly important.

Naruto reached behind him and felt the shuriken holster attached to his waist. He'd gotten it two days ago and was still adjusting to it being there. Shizune had tried to take him shopping for ninja supplies, offering advice on what to get, but Naruto was well ahead of her. He'd already grabbed several spools of ninja wire and the pouch of shuriken he now wore, before checking out. There was no need for solider pills, as he already had some of his own, and kunai were useless to him. Whenever he wanted to cut, slash or stab something, he could just use his hands. He'd have to be mindful of others attacking him with kunai, but he felt that dodging entirely would be better than blocking. He wasn't very strong physically, so blocking would just lead to him being overpowered eventually.

With that in mind, Naruto had focused on shuriken as his ninja weapon of choice. They were the most basic tool out there, but they served their purpose. He'd spent most of his nights lately developing accuracy with them. His average was 8 out of ten shuriken meeting the target, but only one of the 8 hit on the mark. Naruto wasn't discouraged, as he knew it was a skill that took practice. He also knew that throwing shuriken perfectly wasn't going to make him a great shinobi capable of defending himself from S-class shinobi after his personal demon.

Sliding three into position between his fingers, he cocked his right hand back before throwing, sending each shuriken at three separate targets. The first clipped it's target around the shoulder before disappearing into the bushes behind the target. The second landed with a solid thump in the middle of the target's right thigh. The third had arced high, soaring inches over the head of the dummy and burying itself into the bark of a tree several yards back. Naruto disregarded those, instead focusing on the next throw. These would have ninja wire on each shuriken, connected to his left hand while his right threw them. He was going to try manipulating them in flight, to see if he could adjust their course directly into the bull's-eye.

His results were less than appealing. All of them had fallen short of the target when Naruto had tugged on the ninja wire some, stopping their momentum. Sighing, he began to reel the shuriken in for another try.

"Most ninja use chakra to coat the wire, making it easier to manipulate. You should try it."

Naruto jumped with a surprised yelp, before locating the voice. A silver-haired man dressed in the standard Jonin garb was standing on a tree branch not to far from him. The man had a book out in front of him, despite the fact he didn't have enough light out to read by. A closer look showed the man had most of his face covered by a facemask and one eye was concealed by his slanted headband.

"Uh, thanks. You surprised me. I thought this place was deserted. I'm sorry if I interrupted your reading, Jonin-san."

"Oh it's fine. I've already read this part before anyways." The man breezily replied, snapping the book closed and slipping it into one of his many supply pouches. He lazily fell out of the tree and landed near Naruto, taking a few steps towards him before saying "You're not half bad at throwing shuriken for a kid that has no technique. I guess being a ninja is in your blood after all."

Naruto wasn't really sure what to say to that, so he finished withdrawing his shuriken in silence, in hopes the man would either say something else or leave. He did neither. He merely watched as Naruto prepared to throw again. Naruto eventually did throw, getting similar results to his first attempt, only one shuriken had swung wildly left thanks to him tugging on the strings.

"You're throwing them with your shoulder. Unless you want them to end up a mile past your targets or to fall short, you should throw with your wrist. And I saw you try to use chakra on the wire. It'll take same getting used to, but that was the principle of it. Use your chakra to keep the wire taunt so when you adjust it, you don't have to pull out the slack and risk pulling your shuriken back."

"Thank you for the advice, Jonin-san. I guess it's a good thing it's so dark out, otherwise some other ninja could see me miss and think badly of me."

"You're a fresh gennin. No one would think that badly of you. Your headband isn't even scuffed up yet. But you need to learn this before you're a Chunin, otherwise someone will start to make fun of you. I remember when I was promoted to Chunin. I wasn't even tall enough to see over the counter at the ninja supply shops. Sensei would have to buy shuriken and the like for me."

Naruto stopped and turned, face accusation as he questioned "You're Kakashi Hatake, aren't you? The famous Jonin that knows a million jutsu or something like that, right? Tsunade mentioned you once or twice when I was younger and I just now matched you up with what she'd said."

Kakashi's one eye closed in what looked like a smile, but Naruto may have been mistaken in the lighting. "I see my reputation proceeds me. You must have a pretty high opinion of me then. I'm actually known for knowing a thousand jutsu, not a million."

"Oh. Tsunade didn't say much about you other than that your teammate had done a superb job on your transplant. I see now what she was talking about." Naruto softened, realizing what he had said before apologizing " Sorry to bring that up. It wasn't my place."

Kakashi impassively waved a hand at him to shrug it off. "It's fine. Tsunade had looked over Rin's handiwork and cleared me for duty again. Your dad was ready to argue with her for days that I wasn't ready yet for active duty again, but she left not to long after. Sensei couldn't get her to rescind the clearance, so I was able to get back out there when the war was really picking up."

Naruto's eyebrows scrunched up as the statement registered. "My dad? My dad was your sensei? I didn't know that. And this Rin lady was your teammate too? No one ever told me the Yondaime had students."

Kakashi chuckled at this lightly, before sobering up for his next words. "Well that would probably be because I'm the only one that's been alive for the past decade. I'm not much of a legacy for the man's teachings. He treated me like I was his son and taught me everything I know, but I don't think I've done him justice."

"You're the only one who can at this point. You're the only person left alive that he's passed something down to." Naruto wasn't sure why he had said that. It had jumped out of him and the more he thought about, the more bitter it sounded. That wasn't what he was trying to get across. He didn't even know _what_ he was trying to get across.

Kakashi stiffened for a moment, before reaching into another one of his supply pouches. Withdrawing his hand, Naruto saw something wrapped in cloth clutched in her hand. "The auction for the Yondaime's manor was yesterday. As one of the few people that the Yondaime had in the security seals, I was allowed to buy the property. That included most of the less dangerous items inside. While a good margin of his personal research and jutsu collection were taken to the Konoha archives, there's still a large library in the estate. If you'd like, I could add you to the seals surrounding the grounds so you could come and visit whenever you liked. That gift was one of the few things left in the house that wasn't taken up, so try not to show it off too much. It's worth a lot to people all over the world."

Naruto took it, but didn't open it, feeling through the cloth and guessed what it was. His breath hitched unconsciously, before he eased up and slipped it into one of his supply pouches. Straightening up, he looked the man in the eye, as that was the only readable part of his face. It seemed to gaze back into his own, reading him as well. "Thank you, Kakashi-san. The gift is greatly appreciated, especially from a stranger who knows what it's worth. I've lived my entire life with only two gifts from my dad and both of them have caused me strife. But I get the feeling this one while serve me a lot better."

"You deserved to know him, Naruto. He was a great man that ended up having to do great things, even if he didn't want to. There are a few things of your mother's at the estate as well. I didn't dare to move them as the Uzumaki's fuinjutsu is legendary and I enjoy living, but I believe that you should be recognized by the seals for you to go through her stuff. Your father's stuff as well. They couldn't remove everything from the house and had to trust that the Yondaime's fuinjutsu would keep them safe. You're more than welcome to look into as much as you can. Otherwise it'll just sit around and collect dust for all of the ages."

"Thank you again, Kakashi-san. You've offered me so much and I feel I don't really deserve it. You don't even know me yourself and you're trusting me with the poking around at one of the most powerful men to ever walk the planet's possessions. But I would like to stop by and see the house. Do they have any pictures, anything at all? Aside's the Hokage monument and the portrait in the Hokage's Tower, I've never even seen my parents."

Kakashi dipped his head in a nod, before saying "There's only one picture in the house. It's above the mantel in the living room. It was taken about a month before you were due. That is the only picture I've ever seen of your mother and father together. You'll have to come by and see it some time."

"I will. Thank you again, Kakashi-san." Naruto bowed at the waist, feeling it was only proper to show the man his gratitude. The man merely closed his eye in another one of those smiles, before vanishing into the night with a **Shunshin **(Body Flicker). Naruto's eyes gazed on the spot where the man was for a while longer, before returning to his training. He tried to incorporate the Jonin's advice and use his wrist more, able to tell the difference in how the shuriken traveled. The tip on using chakra to control the ninja wire was much more helpful, as Naruto was able to pick up the practice near immediately. Thanks to all of the strenuous control training he had done in order to practice medical jutsu, it was easy for him to manipulate the wire.

So he stayed and practiced with his shuriken until his hands were raw and both of his arms were trembling for overuse. His face was one of contentedness, even at the aches he was feeling. _'I can finaly see what my mom looks like.'_

He'd always wondered. Tsunade would often times mention her whenever she was inebriated, never by name of course. She'd look at Naruto and remark on how similar they were and how she wished that the woman was still around. Naruto never said it out loud, but he always hated it when Tsunade compared him to the woman. It killed him to not be able to understand the comparison. He wanted to know her so bad. Anything at all about her. He'd never asked Tsunade, mostly because he didn't want the woman to be offended by him asking about his real mother, as if he thought that Tsunade wasn't a good enough a mother to him. She was.

Tsunade had been everything Naruto had needed and even if she wasn't, Shizune was there too. Naruto could never of been happier than the day those two took him in under their wing and he found a place where he was wanted. It was everything he had dreamed of after growing up either looked down upon or merely looked over. Everything he could remember about Konoha before those two was fuzzy, but he remembered no one ever paying him any attention. He would act out in order for someone to notice him, but all they would do is make him feel small and insignificant.

Then one day, things changed. He found those two somehow and never looked back.

Naruto fell backwards onto the wet morning grass behind him, disregarding his now wet clothes in favor of resting his sore legs, tired from standing still so long. His arms would still tremble as he tucked them behind his head, looking up into the sky that was now brightening up. He needed to head back home. Tsunade would be waking up soon and would be angry to find he hadn't returned at all last night. But the more he thought about it, the more he was tempted to stay here until she had to leave the manor, then slip in and get some rest.

The idea sounded good to him, but his eyelids were getting heavy. Sleep was pressing on him heavily wearing away at his consciousness until it finally overtook it, leaving the boy snoozing away without a care in the world as it began to wake up to a new day without him.

* * *

"Get up, you idiot. You're right in the middle of our training field."

Light assaulted Naruto's pupils as soon as they popped open, forcing him to close them and channel chakra there to soothe the pain. Waking up a little more, he slipped an arm out from beneath his head and felt blood begin to circulate back into it properly. Using it to shield his eyes from the bright morning sun, he opened them again. Wakefulness began to stir even more in Naruto as he sat up and took in his surroundings. He was still in the same training ground he practiced in. He'd never made it back home last night. Damn, Tsunade was gonna beat him for his.

The person who had awoken Naruto was still standing beside him, waiting for him to get up and move. Naruto temporarily ignored the person, waiting for his body to finish adjusting itself to proper function again.

"Hurry up. Some of us have some actual training to do and you're in my way."

Jeez, this guy was a serious grump. Didn't he know how to be a morning person? Naruto pushed himself up and dusted of his clothes, for what little good it did him. They were thoroughly soaked through from the residual dew. Grabbing his jacket and scroll, he donned both of them before addressing the boy who was waiting on him to leave.

"Thank you for waking me up, ninja-san. I didn't mean to inconvenience you by taking up your training field as my sleeping quarters. I don't think it'll happen again."

"Hmph. Like I care. Just what was the precious little Senju doing sleeping out in a training field all by himself?"

Naruto didn't really care for the tone that the boy in front of him was taking. He studied over the figure, trying to pick out any important details that would help him identify the boy. He was wearing white shorts and a high collared blue shirt. He had his forearms covered by warmers and his ankles wrapped in tape underneath his blue shinobi sandals. His dark black hair was spiked upwards in the back and gave the appearance of a chicken's butt, but Naruto didn't dare mention that to the boy. His eyes were crucial in identifying the boy. They were as dark as pitch, a sure sign of the boy being an Uchiha.

Naruto wasn't entirely up to date on his Konoha history, but he knew that the Uchiha clan had been wiped out. Jiraiya had even confirmed it when talking about Itachi. So this boy right here must've been the only survivor asides the culprit himself.

Naruto kept his manners about him, even if the Uchiha boy was being rude when he answered "My late night training took more out of me than I thought. What should've been a minute or two of rest turned into a short nap. You wouldn't happen to know the time, would you?"

"It's almost seven My team is supposed to meet here then. You need to leave."

The Uchiha certainly didn't have a problem getting his point across. Naruto was about to leave when he heard a loud voice as someone entered the clearing.

"Gah! I can't believe he's late again! When's he gonna start taking my training seriously and show up on time! This guy is unbelievable!"

Another boy, a little shorter than Sasuke and Naruto, came stomping over, fuming at what Naruto assumed to be his tardy sensei being continually tardy. He was dressed in gray Shinobi pants and a bright yellow shirt with a red swirl on the chest. He had a strange headgear on that had the Konoha plate on it, signifying he was a ninja, even if it had goggle lenses crafted onto it. He seemingly ignored Naruto's presence until he had stomped over to the Uchiha boy and demanded a spar.

"Fight me until Sensei gets here, Sasuke. I'm not gonna waste any time today. We need to get stronger for the Chunin Exams, for sure!"

"Maybe a loser like you does, but I'm still waiting on this numbskull to leave before I do anything." Sasuke shot back, jerking his thumb over at Naruto, making it dawn on the new boy that another person was there. Looking over, the boy loudly exclaimed "You're that Naruto guy! The one Tsunade trained before she decided to take Grandpa's job! I'm Konohamaru Sarutobi and I'm gonna be the one who takes your teacher's hat. Believe it!" He finished his statement with a thumbs up, making Naruto grin a little. The boy's enthusiasm was contagious, it seemed.

"It's nice to meet you, Konohamaru-san. I'm sure you'll be a fine replacement for Tsunade one day after she gets old and wrinkled like your grandpa. She'd probably beg you to take the hat after a few years of being that old."

Konohamaru laughed, rubbing under his nose in what looked like an odd habit before saying "Grandpa _is_ pretty old. But Tsunade doesn't look old at all, even if the history books at the academy say she's like fifty something."

Naruto nodded his head before whispering secretively "She hides it with a super secret technique. Even _I_ don't know what she really looks like. I bet she's all wrinkly and saggy. There's no way she'd let people see her like that."

Konohamaru giggled a bit at the image of an old Tsunade, but Sasuke interrupted the two. "Twerp, are you really gonna stand around and talk with this guy all day? I thought you said you wanted to spar."

"Shut up, jerkwad. You're the one who doesn't want to spar. So until you're ready, I'm gonna talk with Naruto. It's not like anyone can talk to you with all of the grunting you do instead of speaking."

Sasuke just snorted before turning away, no longer interested in the two boys now that fighting wasn't an option.

Naruto felt the need to go home creep into his mind and decided to leave. These two wanted to spar anyways, so he might as well go and let them get to it.

"I guess I'll leave and let you two get to it then. It was nice meeting you, Konohamaru-san. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Nonsense! You should stick around. At least until Kakashi-sensei shows up. Sakura will be here in a minute and spend all her time trying to talk to Sasuke, so I won't have anything to do. Kakashi-sensei always takes for _ever_ to show up for _anything_! He'll be late to his own funeral if he has a choice in the matter."

At the younger boy's insistence, Naruto stuck around for a while longer, making idle conversation with him. He talked about his first real mission out of the village, to **Nami no Kuni** (Wave Country). It was an epic tale filled with action. Naruto had little doubt that the story was highly embellished, but he placated the boy by agreeing whole heartedly. By the time he had finished his story, a girl had made her way to the clearing.

It was the same girl that he had met in the candy shop with Ino. While he had dreaded that experience, Sakura herself wasn't that bad to be around. She seemed fairly level-headed and a kind person, unlike Ino, who was out in the clouds and deliberately mean to certain people. Konohamaru greeted her with a large wave, which she returned, albeit much more subdued than her younger teammate.

She then did a complete 180 and shouted her greeting to Sasuke, who had seemingly ignored her arrival. The boy in turn merely grunted as she walked over and began to chat animatedly about her night and the difficulties of getting ready this morning. The boy didn't pay her the slightest bit of his attention, but she either didn't mind or didn't notice.

Naruto looked to Konohamaru, eyebrows raised before whispering "Is she always like that around him?"

The younger boy nodded and held his hand out, extending his pinky. "She wants him to be her boyfriend. When we were introducing ourselves to Sensei she was practically swooning over him and her dreams to marry him one day. I think it's pretty silly since he doesn't like her. Sasuke doesn't like anybody, the stinkin' jerk. He's always mean to us. But he turned out to be a big ol' softy when we were on that mission I was telling you about."

Naruto smiled and laughed a little at the boy's proclamation. Sasuke's eye twitched at the insult, showing how he felt about being called 'soft'. Before the boy could launch a counter-statement to deny the claim or insult Konohamaru, a cloud of smoke appeared in the clearing, thinning out to reveal a nonchalant Kakashi, standing there with book in hand, reading heavily.

"You're late, Sensei! You said to be here ages ago, but you just now showed up. What's the big deal? I thought we were training today!" Konohamaru pointed one of his fingers at the man in accusation of his heinous crime.

A shrug of his shoulder was followed by "I had to save an old man being attacked by an elite squad of angry ninja disguised as nurses for a retirement home. After that, he begged me to take him to the hot springs, which I couldn't turn him down from. His old bones were getting to him and he needed the relaxation."

Truth be told, he was speaking with Jiraiya about Konohamaru, as he had heard word through the grapevine that the man may be interested in teaching the boy a few things as a favor to the Sandaime. The man did say he had plans for Konohamaru, but it would be months before he had the time needed to do any serious teaching and to go ahead and prepare the brat for the exams himself. But Konohamaru didn't need to know that.

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of Kakashi's story, but saw that it was his time to leave and made haste to clear the area, departing without a word. He'd made it to the edge of the clearing and was about to enter the small thicket of woods between him and the village, only to be stopped by Kakashi.

"You wouldn't mind staying and helping me out with the squad's training session, would you? I'd appreciate the favor if you've got the time." Naruto looked up at the man's face, before looking back and seeing Kakashi still standing in the clearing addressing his students. Putting the pieces together, Naruto thought about it for a moment. Feeling around in his medical pouch, he felt what he was searching for and answered the man.

"I will if you teach me this jutsu. I realize that you have your own students to teach, but I'd really like to learn this jutsu for medical reasons. Think of how helpful it would be if I could have multiples running around healing my entire squad instead of making them wait for me to heal them one at a time. That could be life saving. And it's only fair that if you use up my time, I should be rewarded, right?"

Kakashi's eye closed in deep thought before it opened as he answered "I'm surprised you recognized me as a solid clone. I wasn't expecting you to know about the **Kage Bunshin** jutsu. It's a Jonin level forbidden technique that isn't supposed to be taught lightly, especially to a greenhorn gennin such as yourself. The jutsu calls for very high reserves for it to be effective or useful. While it would be useful for a medic to use, Tsunade would have my head if she knew I taught you such a dangerous technique."

"I can keep a secret. Think of this as a way to pay her back for clearing you to active duty, but through me instead. If I can learn this jutsu and make good use of it, then I can do what even she can't and heal multiple people at once. This could be exactly what I need to get out of her shadow as a medic and make my own name as a medic-nin."

Kakashi wasn't entirely convinced, but Naruto was pretty sure he had moved the man some with his little speech. So when he received a cryptic "We'll see." right before the man erupted in smoke, Naruto took it as success. He returned to the center of the clearing, confusing the gennin there. Kakashi greeted him with a look that showed he knew of Naruto's arrangement with his clone, reminding Naruto of the jutsu and it's memory feedback.

He simply smiled when Konohamaru gave him an inquisitive look, but the boy focused back in on Kakashi as the man began to explain the day's training. "Now that we're approaching the Chunin Exams, I'm going to try exposing you three to different types of ninja who you'll likely encounter in the exams. This means that you will need to prepare for the strengths and weaknesses that comes with every skill set a ninja can focus on. I myself use primarily ninjutsu thanks to my Sharingan, but Zabuza-san used kenjutsu to combat me. Because of this, I had to change how I normally fight in order to match him. In order to survive, you'll have to do the same. So today I've brought in some extra help, courtesy of little Naruto-kun here. He hasn't had the same type of training you three have, so it should broaden your minds on all the different ways a ninja can fight. So I'd like Sasuke and Sakura to spar against each other to warm up, while Konohamaru starts with Naruto. The spars will last ten minutes or unless I decide a clear winner."

Konohamaru caught Naruto's eyes again, this time his face was brighter. He walked over and began to talk as Sasuke and Sakura moved a good distance away for their own spar.

"This is gonna be sooo cool! I didn't know you were gonna be here to spar with us! Now I get to show you all of my super awesome jutsu that I used on my mission. Then you'll really believe me and believe that I'll be the Hokage one day!"

Naruto didn't respond, but slunk down into a comfortable position that he hoped wasn't inappropriate to fight from. Tsunade hadn't taught him taijutsu per say, more like advice on how to fight if he ever had to. A fat lot of good that would do him here. But he had already agreed to help and there was no backing out now. He just hoped that jutsu was gonna be worth it.

Kakashi's voice called out from beneath a shady spot under some trees, his face buried in his orange book again. "Begin when ready!"

Naruto nodded at Konohamaru in a signal, but blinked in surprise when the boy all but flew from that spot, punching him right in the face, stunning him and leaving him wide open to eat a follow-up spinning kick to the chest that sent him stumbling back. Naruto rubbed at the sore spot on his face while Konohamaru just stopped and looked at him in question. "Were you ready?"

"Yeah. Sorry bout that. Guess I left myself wide open. Anyways, let's continue."

Konohamaru nodded before charging forward. This time he went slower, at a pace Naruto could keep up with and get the timing down on. The young gennin didn't use the same approach as before, instead breaking right in a slide, punching at Naruto's knee from the side. Naruto jerked his leg out of the way and attempted to kick out at Konohamaru's head, but the boy had rolled out of the way to get behind Naruto and attempt a rising knee to the back.

Naruto spun out of the way, slapping at the offensive appendage in order to push it and the following body away. Konohamaru landed, before springing at Naruto again, fist cocked back in another jab at Naruto's face. He ducked it by crouching completely down, putting him well underneath Konohamaru's line of sight as the boy had to rise in order to hit the taller Naruto in the face.

Timing it just right, Naruto stood up in what would be a rising head butt right underneath Konohamaru's jaw, making it clack together in what Naruto knew to be painful. But he didn't finish there and followed up with a dual palm thrust into the stomach of the boy, knocking the breath from him and sending him back to give Naruto breathing room.

The boy corrected himself quickly and clenched his jaw in an attempt to beat off the pain. He crouched into a lower stance, putting him right at Naruto's waist height, before dashing faster much quicker than before. He was upon Naruto before he could shore up any decent defense and began to pepper Naruto's lower torso with quick punches. The boy was using his short arm span to attack while staying in close enough for Naruto not to be able to counter or defend himself properly. Naruto couldn't try to make space between him and the boy, as he would just regain it and attack anew.

Naruto decided that after the fifth hit to his lower ribs, he had to do something different and instead of backpedaling away from Konohamaru, to stand firm. Doing so made Konohamaru stop mid-stride, letting Naruto catch the still too close for proper hand to hand combat gennin with a sharp elbow to the side of the head, stopping him in his tracks. He followed with a sharp chop down on the side of Konohamaru's neck, right behind the collarbone before grabbing the boy by his shoulders and kneeing him in the chest with enough force to knock him off his feet. A small groan of pain escaped the boy, but he latched onto the knee with one arm, looping behind it to secure it. With his other arm, he began to hammer into an off balance Naruto's gut as hard as he could.

Naruto couldn't shake the boy off his leg and was forced to beat him off with some heavy punches, shouting with each hit "Just. Let. Go!"

Konohamaru was forced to let go, his face already puffing up from the blows. Naruto winced, not at the sight of the injuries he'd caused, but the pain emanating from his stomach, which felt like had just been stomped on by a bull. That little kid could pack a punch when he put his strength into it. Before the two reengaged, Kakashi called time on the spars, making both of them ease out of their tensed stances.

"Gud spar, Nawuto! Hwey! I'm talking funny!" The boy glared at his puffed up cheeks and swollen jaw, but soon burst out into laughter. Naruto wasn't sure whether to laugh alongside him or just apologize. The boy didn't seem too mad about it, so Naruto just decided to offer to heal him.

"If you'd like, I can fix that."

"Nah. It'z fine! Pwus, I can wuse tis as motimation to do te same to Sasuke!" Even with his face swollen disproportionately, he still clenched his fist and his eyes took a determined gleam as he thought of the upcoming bout. Naruto just shrugged his shoulders and wrote it off as the boy's more childish side coming out. He was still young enough to enjoy a friendly rivalry that way.

Naruto then decided to heal himself some. He couldn't completely stop the soreness, but he was able to stop the bruising and ugly discoloration his stomach had taken. It wasn't the best, but he'd be more than fit for his next spar. Looking at Sakura and Sasuke, one of which would be his next opponent, he immediately figured who won that fight. Sasuke looked exactly the same as he did before the fight. He wasn't breathing hard or sweating. Sakura, on the other hand, looked completely disheveled. Her long hair was astray and her clothes contained a few noticeable scuffs that weren't there before.

Before he could further examine them, Kakashi walked over, addressing both of them. "That was a pretty intense spar. I see you've gotten better at staying low to the ground when you move, Konohamaru. That was good. But when you latched onto Naruto's leg, you left yourself recklessly open. If you would've tried that with an enemy shinobi, you would've had a kunai planted right in that little noggin of yours. Be more careful about leaving yourself open like that. Your defense still seems to be lacking some in comparison to your offense. Work more in making your attacks come from places that make you hard to hit. You aren't big enough yet to defend yourself properly from stronger shinobi, so make sure you don't get hit that much. But that was a good job overall."

Konohamaru's head bobbled up and down at the instructions, before looking at Naruto and asking "Bwut whut abat hem Semsei?"

Kakashi's seemingly signature eye smile came out to show before the Jonin responded "He's not one of my students, Konohamaru. He doesn't need my advice."

Naruto wanted to disagree that he'd take any advice he could get from a Jonin like Kakashi on how to be a ninja, but kept that argument in his head. It was probably better that way. Instead he merely held his silence until Kakashi announced the new sparring pairs.

"Sakura, work with Naruto now. Sasuke and Konohamaru both have shown some improvement in taijutsu, so I want them to try using ninjutsu in this spar. Safely, I might add. No need in making our medic here actually have to doctor one of you just because someone got a little excited with their fireballs."

The two boys began to walk off, Konohamaru babbling about all his cool jutsu as best he could with his swollen jaw. Sakura just looked at Naruto, shuffling her feet in anxiety. Naruto let a small smile ease some of her apprehension before saying "I don't think you'll have much to worry about Sakura. Konohamaru kicked my butt for most of our spar."

She smiled back a little at that, before readying herself. She hunched down, squared her shoulders, and clenched her fists to be ready for attack. Naruto did something similar, but left his hands in a firm open palm. He made better use of his hard fingers by not using his fists, sticking with stabs and chops. Since it was now near impossible to jam his finger by poking something, he could actually stab someone with his hands and not have to worry about breaking a finger and leaving him without hand signs.

She noticed this, and she approached with caution, throwing a few testing punches to see just what he would do. He stayed away from them. He didn't just flee backwards, but he didn't get close enough to the girl to initiate the same type of taijutsu he and Konohamaru had been doing earlier. He'd learned from that fight alone that he didn't fight like that.

Sakura soon quit testing Naruto and began to get into the spar, getting closer and closer with her attacks as Naruto moved around them. One kick got to close for Naruto to avoid and he had to block it with his forearm. He jabbed at the extended leg, connecting with the soft muscles Naruto knew would be beneath the leg behind the knee. He abandoned the limb in favor of avoiding Sakura's incoming punch and backing away. Sakura rebalanced herself and put her hurting leg behind her. But as she set it down and put weight on it, it collapsed from underneath her, leaving her open for several speedy finger jabs along her torso that were intentioned to inhibit her movement.

It wasn't an exact science for Naruto, but he knew enough about were certain points were that if he jammed his rock-like fingers there hard enough, he could all but immobilize the girl. The effects of his attacks were already clearly apparent. The girl had readjusted after taking all of those jabs and was wincing in pain with every breath she took in and let out. Her leg had gotten some strength back, but Naruto could tell it was shaky. She kept her arms closer in to her body, showing how uncomfortable it was for her to move her arms now.

This was how he would need to fight, he realized. He'd have to take his opponents apart piece by piece using his knowledge of anatomy to pick at their weak points. Spots that couldn't be protected, such as joints and tender muscles. He'd have to study up on his anatomy, maybe use his memory jutsu to permanently retain everything he'd need to know. It'd help his medical practice as well.

Sakura recovered enough to chance another bout, charging in with her fist cocked back for a strong punch, but dropped suddenly when she was close enough to plant that hand firmly on the ground to assist in her sweeping kick at Naruto's shins. Naruto jumped to avoid it, but had to cross his arms in defense as the second kick came, aimed directly for his chest. The blonde weathered the hit well, but decided he liked dodging much more than blocking and started to weave out the way of several punches thrown at him. They came at a steady pace, but Naruto was more than able to keep ahead of the girl as he slipped away from every blow.

Once he had the timing down pat on the girl's attack, he countered. Wrapping her right arm up under his own before she could pull it back from another punch, he quickly stabbed her in the shoulder with his fingers. The instinctive punch Sakura was going to send stopped dead in its tracks as her arm fell to her side, numb. Naruto followed up by grabbing the wrist of her right arm with his left and jabbing at her shoulder with his now unoccupied hand, leaving the girl's arm numb as well. Naruto then took a step back and let the girl attempt to relieve her arms of their uselessness.

"I apologize, Sakura-san. I didn't mean to be as harsh as I was in that spar. I'm afraid I took that too far. I'd ask for forgiveness and the task of tending to your arms."

It took seeing the end results of the spar to see that his decided style of fighting wasn't going to be very useful in a spar. Sakura had been beaten, sure. But she was left numb and would be hindered for the rest of the day's training when she did start to feel her arms again. Fighting as if his hands were knives would only be useful if he put the proper intent behind them and use them for stabbing, killing, and maiming. He had to hold back from striking too hard or from hitting anywhere asides tender muscles.

Thinking about all of the drawbacks there were to fighting like he did, he almost missed the nod from Sakura to accept his offer. Stepping closer, he began to channel healing chakra into his hands and prod over the spots he had targeted earlier. The pinkette hissed whenever he found his mark, but soon relaxed as she felt blood begin to circulate properly back into her arms and ease some of the irritation her muscles were giving her.

"This is incredible. I wish I could do something like this. I'm not that good at fighting, and I don't have any clan jutsu or special techniques to make me standout on the team. Maybe I should try learning medical ninjutsu?"

Sakura's question was more to herself than anyone, but Naruto couldn't help but try and help the girl. It didn't take a genius to realize that the girl wasn't a strong combatant if Naruto could beat her with as little training as he'd had. If she wanted to be more of an assistance to her squad mates, then being a medical ninja would make her invaluable. But it wasn't as easy as just saying she wanted to be a medic. The girl would need to undergo rigorous training and learn how to protect herself much better than she did now.

To really be worth anything on the battlefield or on missions as a medic, she had to be at least on a Chunin level in skill. Anything less would leave her a liability of being targeted first as the weak link. But the girl did look like she had the charka control for it and seemed smart enough to use her head as well. It wouldn't be a bad idea to encourage the girl into the med program.

"It's a wonderful feeling to be able to help people this way. But as a ninja, it's one of the most dangerous things you could possibly do for your squad. Being a medic nin requires you to hold back from the fighting, to put your safety above theirs, just so you can be there for them if they need you. And then you have to actually _be_ ready when they need you. It'll be hard, but there isn't a single greater thing you could do for your squad mates asides being a suicidal shield for them. There's a program at the hospital that you could look into to give you some basic training that you can do outside of your squad training. At your rank, there's not much you can jump into because you still have a responsibility with your team. But when you're a Chunin, you'll have time to really diverge from the well beaten path and pursue your interests to the fullest."

Sakura soaked up every word the blonde said, as if he was a scholar or some great teacher, when really he was just a boy her age. She took everything to heart before muttering under her breath "I guess it's important I do really good in the Chunin Exams then. Thank you, Senju-san. You've been a great help."

Naruto just smiled brightly at the girl, who was still thinking a mile a minute. "Call me Naruto, Sakura. No need to be so formal after we've tried to beat each other up, right?"

The girl gave a polite smile back at the blonde before correcting herself. "Thank you, Naruto. Now let's go see how Sasuke did. I bet Konohamaru hasn't even scratched him yet!"

With that, the girl waltzed off to go see the last few minutes of Sasuke's spar with Konohamaru. Naruto stared at the girl as she left, wondering how she could switch from serious thought to boy crazy in such a short time. Shrugging it off as a woman thing, he was about to follow after her when Kakashi called to him.

"You wouldn't be trying to take one of my sweet little students right out from under me, would you Naruto? I hear that medic training can be pretty intense. You wouldn't think of sending Sakura off into something like that unprepared, right?" The tone that Kakashi made his light accusations in made it sound more like a joke than an actual worry, but Naruto defended himself as if it was a serious question.

"She wants to be something asides being in the way. I don't think it's a bad thing to use that to make another medical ninja to keep us all alive, Kakashi-san. And I told her that she'd need to be Chunin before she could get serious about her medical training. But she seems like a good fit for it. Do you disagree?

Kakashi's book was out underneath his nose, making Naruto wonder how he could notice anything else in the world while reading it. The cover looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out where he had seen it at before. It was starting to annoy him that Kakashi was holding a conversation without even looking at Naruto to talk.

"No. She would make a good medic ninja. I had thought for the longest on what exactly to teach her, as she doesn't seem to be as offensive as the boys are. They're much more simple to teach, but I feel like I'd leave her out if I taught some ninjutsu to them all. She just doesn't have the reserves to use ninjutsu extensively."

The Senju boy didn't comment on the man's problem with dealing with Sakura's training. He didn't know what to say anyways. With a sigh, the silver-haired Jonin called out the end of his two student's spar. The two broke off their engagement, laving a few smalls embers to burn out between the two of them.

Both showed an equal amount of wear and tear, but if Naruto had to pick a winner of the spar, it would be the Uchiha boy. The large cut on his cheek must've stung, though. He was eyeing Naruto over, the same as Naruto had done him and probably didn't like what he saw. Naruto hadn't taken any damage from his spar with Sakura and he'd had time to recover from his fight with Konohamaru, unlike Sasuke.

There was a large amount of tension between the two at their upcoming spar that went unnoticed by the other two gennin, who were both talking about the fight. Sakura was bragging on Sasuke and Konohamaru was bragging on himself. Both of them weren't being paid attention by the people they were trying to talk to. Kakashi silenced the two jabbering gennin by telling them to pair up and to try fighting while tree walking.

"Konohamaru, your control over your chakra is still less than it should be. Fighting in the trees will help you with that. It'll also give you the distinct advantage of being able to fight on a different level from other gennin you'll soon be facing. Sakura, on the other hand, has great control over the technique, but needs to practice using it extendedly, as some battles are prolonged and drawn out. Now get two it, you two!"

With that, the two gennin vanished off into the trees, beginning their own match and leaving an uncomfortable Naruto with what would be his worst match to date. The Uchiha was likely the strongest gennin on Kakashi's squad and more than capable of pummeling in taijutsu. Naruto didn't have a single ninjutsu to his name that could be used in combat that wouldn't seriously harm Sasuke. And he didn't know any genjutsu either. So for this spar, he couldn't depend on any of the three main ninja disciplines to keep him from being destroyed. Joy.

Kakashi had ignored the two boys, letting them start their own spar by their own terms. It would be more interesting for him to stay uninvolved. Sasuke would likely do his best to show out for this fight, mostly just to test himself against someone with a name just as big as his own. Naruto would have to really shape up if he wanted to survive the fight with any shred of dignity. His pride and the value of his name was on the line here, even if it was just a spar.

Sasuke eased into the practiced stance of the Uchiha's signature taijutsu style, observing what his opponent did in response. Konohamaru, the little twerp, had kept him preoccupied with their ninjutsu spar. He hadn't had the time to watch how Naruto fought Sakura, but could only assume that since she had walked away so easily, that he must not have fought very hard. Too bad.

Naruto just stood there and looked at Sasuke, his stomach tightening in anticipation and a bout of nervousness rising up in him. He didn't want to do this. But if the Uchiha boy was determined to fight him, then he might as well play hardball. He doubted Sasuke was the kind of guy to hold back any himself. With that mild insight, he prepared himself as best he could. That was all Sasuke needed as a signal to start.

He sprinted at Naruto, jumping up and sending a spinning heel kick that the Senju ducked to avoid and rolled out of the way of the stop landing. From the roll, Naruto launched himself backwards in an attempt to create space between him and Sasuke. The boy in question just smirked before weaving the few hand signs he needed to release the Uchiha's standard ninjutsu.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu **(Fire Style: Grand Fireball)."

The name was not lost on Naruto as he saw the large ball of flames come screaming at him. It was a scary sight, but not one that Naruto was unprepared for. He vacated the spot in a burst of speed and watched the destruction the technique caused to the already scorched earth. The results shown made Naruto glad he wasn't caught in the jutsu. But Sasuke hadn't been expecting the blonde to be hit by the fireball and had planned to catch him off guard when he came speeding at the blonde from his blind spot.

Imagine his surprise when it was Naruto that caught him off guard with a well-timed mule kick aimed squarely for Sasuke's face. The Uchiha had to abort his dash and rolled under the kick, trying for a leg sweep that proved to be unsuccessful when Naruto moved out of the way. The Uchiha followed with a lunging fist that was slapped aside by Naruto and the blonde returned fire with a sharp finger jab to the center of his sternum.

Sasuke didn't take being hit first well and tried to turn the close quarters to his favor. Again and again he would lash out with attacks, coming at different angles and from different places, but the blonde proved he was more than capable of stay out of his reach. And with each failed attack, Naruto would slap it aside and look for a place to stick his painful fingers. Sasuke didn't understand how he managed to make poking someone so painful, but the blonde was being a nuisance with it. The bruises were pilling up and he could tell his own attacks were suffering from his soreness.

Breaking off from the futile engagement, Sasuke then turned to taunting, calling out to the blonde "Why don't you throw a punch once in a while? You'd stand a better chance of winning if you weren't scared to attack me."

Naruto stopped for a moment before slowly saying "I'm not trying to win. You are. I'm just here to provide you with a different type of enemy. So that means I can be the guy who's trying to stall for reinforcements or hold you up while my teammates go finish the mission. I don't have to win. I just have to wait until the spar is over."

Sasuke just grunted before hurling a few shuriken at the blonde. If he wanted to stall for time, then Sasuke would have to be quick about earning his victory. Naruto ducked the shuriken as they whizzed past overhead and watched the Uchiha come forward. Then Naruto noticed something, faintly. Sasuke had pulled his hand back in a subtle gesture while running at him. Naruto wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been using the same gesture last night practicing his shuriken throws. Naruto immediately knew what the Uchiha was trying to do and leaped high into the air, back flipping over the shuriken that had now reversed their course and were heading back towards him.

Sasuke had to leap to the side to avoid his own shuriken that were coming back at him, much to his own embarrassment. He didn't have time to worry about it as he severed the ninja wire and blocked the overhead chop with his forearm. He countered with a hook that grazed Naruto's cheek but paid for it when Naruto finger jabbed him again, this time slipping in between the boy's ribs. Naruto followed with another jab, this time catching Sasuke in the shoulder and thwarting his attempt to attack with that arm. The Uchiha was thrown off balance, letting Naruto score several more hits with his hard hands. He recovered with a front kick that buried into Naruto's gut, sending him back some and giving Sasuke the time needed to properly gain his footing back and turn the tide of this spar.

"I've been dying to try these new eyes out. Normally I wouldn't even bother with activating my Sharingan in such a meaningless fight, but I'll make an exception for you."

"That's fine." Naruto said warily, not looking at Sasuke in the face to confirm he'd activated his bloodline. He'd seen what Itachi had done to Shizune with just a glance. The Sharingan was a powerful weapon to possess and it was going to be used against him, so he may as well practice for it. "You aren't the only one with those eyes that I'll have to fight, so I guess I can use you as the warm-up."

Kakashi's eye widened from his shady spot underneath the trees several yards away, well out of the earshot from the two boys. But he still felt something was wrong from the way Sasuke's chakra flared. His book was tucked away and he vanished from beneath the tree in a whirlwind of leaves.

Naruto was beside himself, confused at the turn of events. One minute he was sparring, the next Sasuke decides to get serious. Naruto says something about fighting another Sharingan wielder and bam. This happened.

"What're you talking about! Tell me! Have you seen him? Do you know where he is? Answer me, damn it!"

Sasuke had him by the collar of his shirt and had pulled him dangerously close, locking eyes with the blonde directly. Naruto couldn't help but compare Sasuke's Sharingan to the other one he'd seen. The two spinning tomoe were intimidating, sure. But they weren't as fear inspiring as the three that had connected to form a shuriken around the pupil.

"Why were his eyes different?" Naruto wondered aloud to himself. Sasuke heard, and his grip slipped for a moment. It tightened back up even worse after a moment before he started to shake Naruto, screaming at him "Tell me what you know about Itachi!"

A firm hand clapped onto Sasuke's shoulder, keeping him from shaking Naruto anymore. "That's enough, Sasuke. That's no way to treat a sparring partner. This match is over. Now let him go and walk away."

Sasuke's eye turned to meet Kakashi's own, glaring daggers at his sensei for interfering, but eventually relented and pushed Naruto away. The blonde dusted off his clothes and straightened out the now torn collar. He'd have to replace this shirt later. He caught Kakashi's attention, who was watching the Uchiha's rage simmer down some.

"I apologize, Kakashi-san. I didn't realize that the other one was taboo to speak of. I'd like to apologize to Sasuke as well, but I don't believe he's in the mood to listen. If it's no more trouble, I'll just take my leave now. Don't worry about what I said earlier. It was a mistake for me to ask of such a thing."

Naruto turned to leave, but Kakashi called out "You did fine, Naruto. I'll find you later and 'assist' you with that jutsu. Thank you for your assistance today."

Naruto continued to leave, heading directly for the Senju compound. It was already nearing noon, but he was going to bed after he showered. He'd wake up in time for supper with Tsunade and Shizune before heading back out for more training.

With a plan in mind, the blonde vanished into the surrounding trees, leaving Kakashi and Sasuke there in silence. "You could've handled that better. You can't just go off the handle every time someone talks about Itachi, Sasuke."

The boy just grunted, crossing his arms and remaining in a bad mood. Konohamaru and Sakura returned back to the clearing not long after, both sweating and panting from their exercise. Now that his team was fully assembled, the Jonin announced "Hokage-sama has cleared you three to participate in the Chunin Exams. So in exactly a month's time, you will report to the academy and take place in the first exam there. We will still have team training for the next month, but only four days of the week. The rest of that time will be up to you to spend as you'd like. Team dismissed."

He vanished in another hurricane of leaves, making way to the Hokage Tower to report on Sasuke's actions about Itachi. Turning hostile to a fellow Konoha shinobi was not a good sign. The three gennin he left behind began to head towards the village, two of them making small talk along the way.

"Sakura-chan, you wanna go get lunch since Sensei let us out so early? I bet Ichiraku's still got the lunch special going on!"

Sakura turned to look at Konohamaru, before returning her gaze back to Sasuke, who had been sulking alongside them. "I'm on a diet now Konohamaru. But if Sasuke will go, then I guess I could try some of that diet ramen you keep telling me about."

Konohamaru bounded over to the Uchiha, nudging him on the shoulder repeatedly, unknowingly prodding where Naruto had struck him earlier. "Soooo? What'cha say, sourpuss? Did Naruto beat you so bad that you can't eat ramen or are you just mad that he didn't stick around long enough for you to copy all of his moves?"

Sasuke shoved the playful boy away from him, before answering "I'm going to find him." He jumped into the trees and speed off, heading the same direction Naruto had left in, leaving behind his squad mates.

"Well that was weird. Naruto must've beaten Sasuke really bad for him to chase him down for a rematch. So, you still don't want to go get ramen I take it?" Konohamaru chirped, turning the conversation back to food. He was really hungry. Sakura whipped her head away from where Sasuke had last been seen, answering "I think I'll just go home and eat a salad. Thanks anyways."

"Suit yourself!" And with that, the two split ways.

* * *

"Kakashi-san, I think your student followed me home. I'm a little concerned on how to deal with him. I'm pretty sure everything that I know on Itachi is confidential and way above Sasuke's rank to know about. So I can't tell him that his brother is out to steal the soul of a demon I keep on retainer. Any advice?"

Kakashi sighed, standing alongside Naruto with a copy of himself. He had been showing Naruto the **Kage Bunshin**, as promised, when the blonde had brought up the subject of his student. Kakashi himself really didn't know what to do with the boy. His earlier report to the Hokage hadn't cleared up much and he was left with only his best judgment.

"If Sasuke is intent on hunting you down for answers, then you need to give him some. Tell him that you can't tell him because it is a village secret and that I will answer any of his questions the best I can if he asks me. That should get him off your back."

"Thank you. Now could you show me the hand seal again?"

Kakashi complied, crossing his first two fingers with his other two in a cross. It wasn't one of the standard twelve hand signs, but it did prove useful for this technique and for helping gather chakra.

"Got it. **Kage Bunshin** jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke erupted from the clearing, thick enough to obscure vision. It soon was fanned away by a nice breeze that rolled through the clearing, revealing Naruto…staring straight into the face of another Naruto.

"It worked! Ha, thanks Kakashi! This is great! I can use this for all sorts of training now. And I promise that I won't let Tsunade know it was you who taught me this. I can keep a secret."

"Sure thing, Naruto. Just be sure to be careful with this jutsu. It splits your chakra evenly between each clone, so making a lot of them could kill you. And don't overdo it when using them to train, as the experience _and_ the exhaustion comes back when they dispel. Now how about you stop training for the night and come see Minato's house? I found something there that I think you might want to see."

* * *

AN: Longest chapter to date! Kinda proud of myself. Anyways, I hope you guys liked it. I realize the fights are a bit lackluster, but Naruto _is _holding back. The way he's decided to fight isn't something you can use on friendlies. It's gonna be fatal, just like getting hit with Tsunade's punches normally is. I'll get into that later, but next chapter will be the start of the Chunin Exams!

If you're excited, leave a review to help me write faster and comment on how you think the story is coming along. Or you could tell me how well you like Konohamaru being my pick to replace Naruto on squad 7. He'll be better than Sai for the fit and could actually be Sasuke's friend. I've made him a little older than in Cannon, but he's still younger and smaller than everyone else. Writing out how he fights will be fun too, as he never got any real screen time in the anime. I can be…different with him.

Also, as a side note, anyone who can send me a message telling me the Japanese translation of the Uchiha's Interceptor Fist taijutsu style would be a huge help. I can't find it on the wiki, so I'm guessing it's a fanfic thing. Until next update, BigWillis, out!


	5. What You Know

AN: I'm sitting at my keyboard thinking of all the reasons I should right this instead of playing Dead Space 3. But I'm obligated to you guys now and myself to see this story go places. So here comes another chapter! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's properties. Kishimoto might already have a large list of enemies, but when I learn how to build space guns from scrap like Isaac Clarke, he'll have no choice but to sign over some rights! Song Title comes from a T.I. song off of his King album.

Chapter 5

What You Know

Konoha's Academy had seen several classes of ninja hopeful pass in and out of its door. While many believed that Konoha's standards for ninja were too low, none could argue with the end results of ninja produced by the village. It was why they were the strongest village of the Big Five. Konoha had birthed more legends than any other hidden village and the other villages knew it.

Now, instead of ushering in new gennin hopefuls, the building was being provided to usher gennin into a higher level, provided they were up to it. The Chunin exams had arrived at Konoha's gates and now the building was full of young ninja from around the nations seeking the title of Chunin. Over a hundred candidates were now tramping about inside, waiting for the Exams to begin.

A blonde slowly strolled up the road to the large academy building. He'd seen it once or twice before, but this was his first time coming here with any particular purpose. He stopped for a moment and looked the place over, before his resolve tightened and he walked forward again. Slipping inside the hallway, he looked at the signs above the classroom doors, making note of them. He was supposed to find room 301 and Tsunade had stressed that very clearly.

Naruto made for the stairwell, climbing up two more floors to reach the third. He could hear chattering in the hallway up ahead. The voices actually sounded familiar. Naruto opened the door and saw Konohamaru and his team in the hallway, arguing with two other gennin. Naruto looked over the two gennin before noticing the **Henge **(Transformation) technique. Both of them were disguising themselves and were attempting to talk the squad out of participating in the exams.

Konohamaru called out the **Henge** and called their bluff to boot. The two gennin looked at each other for a moment before dropping the illusion and letting them pass. Naruto recognized the two after they had dropped the **Henge** as the Hokage's assistants. Naruto entered the hallway and followed behind Squad 7, unbeknownst to them. The two Chunin didn't say a word to him as he passed, instead just giving him a nod of the head. There was no point in trying to fool him sense he'd seen their act.

Squad 7 stopped in front of room 301, their sensei blocking the door. Naruto stayed back as he addressed them, congratulating for all showing up at the Exams. After a moment, he let them pass and they walked through the doors. Naruto couldn't see what was waiting for him on the other side, as Kakashi had stepped in the way and gave him a pointed look.

"You aren't following my gennin, are you Naruto? Or are you just trying to stick with familiar faces since you're on your own?"

Naruto walked a little closer, giving a small smile at Kakashi's last question. "I guess you could say I'm a little nervous about this. I'll be going into these exams with no one watching my back or taking care of me. And I've always had Tsunade or Shizune around looking out for me before. But I knew it wouldn't always be that way. I guess now I've just got to face it once and for all."

"Tsunade-sama thinks you'll do fine. I trust her. And you've learned a lot in the past few weeks. Maybe a little too much."

Naruto laughed at the man's accusation as his eye narrowed at him in a mock glare. "You were the one who invited me to check out my parent's house. And you were the one who taught me **Kage Bunshin**. If anything, you pushed me into all of this. Not that I minded or anything, but you really helped me out even thought you didn't have to. I appreciate that."

Kakashi's eye closed in one of his smiles. "I'm sure you'll repay me someday. And you weren't hard to help. I just had to point you in the right direction and you took off all on your own. I can see why Tsunade thinks you'll replace her one day."

Naruto's eye widened some, but he kept his tone even enough when he asked "She really said that?"

Kakashi started to leave, waving a hand over shoulder as he asked in turn "She gave you her last name, didn't she?"

Naruto watched the Jonin leave, a full smile on his face and full of confidence. Turning to the door that led to the exam room, Naruto threw them open and stepped inside the room. Taking a moment to look around, Naruto saw the masses of Chunin hopefuls and where all of the sudden Killing Intent was coming from. A huge amount was coming from the groups of Iwa gennin in one corner of the room, and there was some from other nations, like Ame, Kusa, and Suna. Once the doors shut behind him with a loud clatter, a majority of the gennin noticed him and began to direct it at him.

Naruto withstood the pressure in front of the gennin as his smile dwindled rapidly, but made his way to the group of gennin closest to the door. Konohamaru and his team were standing there and Naruto even spotted Ino too. While he wasn't excited to see her, he was glad to have familiar faces around. Kakashi was right.

Konohamaru greeted him excitedly, calling him over and introducing him to everyone. "Naruto, come here! Come meet everybody. These guys are all of the rookie gennin, like me. We were just talking about the exams. I guess you're taking them to, huh?"

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm sure you know who I am by now. And yes, I am taking the exams with you guys, Konohamaru." Naruto answered, making brief eye contact with everyone in the group as he spoke. He didn't recognize a majority, but he noted their distinctive features that denoted their clan. Except for Sakura, she was the real oddball of the group for not hailing from a prominent ninja clan. Not that she had a choice, but Naruto thought it was more than a little coincidental that every major clan that made up Konoha's ninja forces had a rookie gennin competing for this exam in particular. The Hokage must've really been pushing for a good show this time around.

The group of rookies all greeted Naruto with a collective "Hey." or "Hello." Naruto just smiled politely, thinking of small talk to prevent any awkward silence before the exams started. A loud, brown-haired boy prevented him from having to say anything else, as he all but shouted "So where's the rest of your team at? I thought we all had to have a three-man squad to compete? Or do you get special treatment cause your mom's a Sannin?"

Konohamaru was about to step up and defend Naruto from the questions, but Naruto had noticed that some of the other gennin had heard the Inuzuka's questions. Naruto couldn't afford to show any weakness in front of gennin that were most definitely after his head while they were observing him so closely. So he cut Konohamaru off before he could speak and answered for himself.

"I'm an apprentice to a Sannin, Inuzuka-san. I have to play by different rules, so to speak. I'm not allowed a squad when I compete in these exams and I wasn't assigned a Jonin-sensei to watch over me upon my return to the village. So I wouldn't call this special treatment, because it's not like I'm benefiting from not having a team. And it was the Nidaime Hokage who set the terms for this at a Kage Summit well before either one of us was thought of when the Chunin Exams were being established."

Sasuke grunted at Naruto's explanation, glancing over at Konohamaru as he spoke. "At least you won't have any runts to slow you down and hold you back for these exams. You can go all out."

Konohamaru squawked indignantly, making bold claims on how he'd beat Sasuke and everyone else in the room if he had to in order to be Chunin. He then turned to the only girl of the group Naruto didn't know, a Hyuuga, and said of course he'd never hurt her because she was so kind. Naruto hardly paid attention, instead watching the Uchiha's body language for a read and thinking _'The last thing I'm gonna do in these exams is go all out.'_

Sasuke had stopped following Naruto around after Kakashi had warned him about it, but Naruto could simply look at the boy and tell that he wanted to grill Naruto for the information on Itachi right then and there. Luckily, he had more sense than that. But Naruto wasn't sure how he'd act later on in the exams, especially if the situation provided itself to him.

Sakura waited for Konohamaru to calm down, before deciding to formally introduce Naruto to everyone. This just meant she pointed them all out and called them by name. Naruto memorized all of the names and matched them with the faces. These guys were the few people he knew in the village that were his age. He might as well get to know them and try to make friends.

"This is so troublesome. When are they gonna start the exams?" The Nara, Shikamaru, complained in a slow drawl, looking around the room and at all the older gennin glaring at them.

"No need to get so anxious. They'll start before too long." A voice answered. The rookies all looked to see an older gennin walk over to them. Naruto recognized the older youth immediately.

"Hello, Yakushi-san. It's good to see you. You're participating in the exams as well, I presume?" Naruto asked, nodding his head in greeting to his fellow medic-nin. Kabuto smiled and dipped his head in return before replying "Yes I am. And I have to say that you rookies are drawing a lot of unwanted attention. Just look around."

The rookies did as such and the Killing Intent Naruto noticed earlier became prevalent to them. Naruto watched them all for their reactions, keeping track of them all. He wanted to know who would be the weaker links of each squad, should he ever have to face them as opponents in the exam. It never hurt to know a little more about his potential enemies and future allies.

The rookies shook of the hateful feelings and focused back on Kabuto. Shino, the Aburame boy, then asked quietly "This isn't your first exam, is it Yakushi-san?" Naruto watched the Aburame for a second, but glanced away. He couldn't read him, mostly due to how concealed he was. His collar covered most of his lower face and sunglasses hid his eyes. The Aburame were famous for hiding their features, as well as their frightening Kekkei Genkai.

Kabuto looked sheepishly at Shino over the question, pushing his glasses up farther on his nose. "Actually, this makes my seventh attempt to become Chunin. They're held twice a year, so this'll make my fourth year. But during all of these exams, I came about some very useful information that I've recorded on my Ninja Info Cards. Would you like to see?"

Most of the gennin were confused by the older gennin, so he pulled a stack of cards out of his supply pouch that looked eerily similar to trading cards. Slapping the deck down onto the floor and plucking off the top card, the gennin began to pour chakra into it until a small cloud of smoke erupted from it. He lifted the card to show a demographic chart.

"This here is a graph of all of the gennin competing in this Chunin Exam. It tells how many teams came from which countries. Notice how there's a large number of gennin squads from other villages when compared to our village. Since it's on Konoha's turf, normally villages like Iwa or Kumo wouldn't participate, but for some reason they all came out in force for this one. Konoha ninja will have to watch their back this time around with so many foreign ninja competing."

Naruto couldn't help but feel that the cause of Iwa's sudden participation in Konoha's exam was his return to the village. This exam would be the perfect time to kill him without any repercussions on Iwa, so long as the Iwa teams did so during the survival or the final part of the exam. That was what Tsunade had told him, to warn him to be careful. Any Iwa ninja wouldn't hesitate to kill him to spite his father, even if the man was long dead.

"These cards don't have personal information on them, do they?" Sasuke interrupted, glancing from the cards up into the eyes of their owner. Kabuto pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose with his palm, the light glaring off of the thick lenses. After adjusting the frames, he gave a slow confirmation.

"While limited, I have indeed gathered information on nearly every participant in the exams. Is there anyone in particular that you're interested in?"

"A few people come to mind. Rock Lee, from Konoha. Gaara, from Suna. And Naruto Senju."

Naruto didn't even turn to meet Sasuke's drilling stare. He didn't have to. The boy had been investigating him ever since he had mentioned Itachi, which Naruto could look back and say was a grave mistake. Sasuke's judgment was severely compromised whenever his brother was involved. To stalk a fellow ninja would be grounds for questioning and possible detainment from active duty.

He could hear Sakura whisper something to Ino about how weird Sasuke had been about Naruto ever since they'd trained about it. She also said something about how rude it was to ask about someone when they were right there. Konohamaru voiced the same sentiment, only louder. Neither of the two answered.

Kabuto hands flashed over his desk of cards, all eyes on him as he pulled out four cards. Placing the first one on the ground, he poured chakra into it and began to read off the information. "Rock Lee is a fellow gennin of Konoha, only a year older than you guys. He didn't take the exams last year, so this exam is his first one, like you guys. His taijutsu has really excelled the past year, while his ninjutsu and genjutsu skills appear to be non-existent. His teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuuga."

Naruto glanced over to wear Lee's team was. All of them had taken seats are were blending in and looking as inconspicuous as possible. Making themselves out to look like weak targets, so they would be underestimated later on. Not a bad strategy.

Kabuto moved onto the next card. "Sabaku no Gaara, gennin of Sunagakure. He's a first time examinee, like you guys. Must be a lot of rookies in this year's crop. His teammates are Temari and Kankuro Sabaku, his siblings. He's never done a D-rank, but get this. He's done 17 C-ranks and even a B-rank! But that's not even the scary part. He's reported to have come back from every mission unscathed."

All of the gennin were taken back by that. None of them had heard of a gennin coming back from a mission unharmed. Most Chunin and Jonin didn't come back from B-ranks unharmed. Just what was with that guy? Naruto made a note to stay as far away as he could from Gaara and his team. Those guys were trouble, he just knew.

Kabuto tucked Gaara's card away after resealing it and unsealed another. "Naruto Senju. Apprentice of Sannin Tsunade Senju, famed medic of worldwide renown. He's only been enrolled in Konoha's active forces for less than a month, but he's traveled with Tsunade as her apprentice for several years. He hasn't done a single mission outside of the village, but instead has done the required amount inside in hospital cases. His medical skills are phenomenal and he's solved several cases that had stumped some of our senior staff at the hospital. He has no known ninja skills."

Naruto let out a breath of air, before saying "Thanks for keeping everything under the rug for me Kabuto. You told Sasuke exactly what he didn't want to hear. And everyone else here is gonna try to murder me because they think I don't know what I'm doing here. Great."

Kabuto didn't look remorseful, instead offering "Since Sasuke asked about you, would you like to see my card on him as well? It would only be fair."

"I'll pass. I know more than I want to about the guy already." Naruto said, looking over at the dark haired teen, who stared back. Naruto wasn't far off when he said Sasuke didn't hear anything he wanted to. The boy wanted something that he could tie back in with Itachi, or some sort of measurement of skill to place him at. The short spar between the two of them must've raised some questions for the Uchiha on just how strong Naruto might actually be.

Kabuto went on to tell of the other ninja villages that were participating in this exam, such as Ame and Kusa. He also made note of the new village Oto, and how they were a new village. Naruto wasn't hardly listening, instead watching the other gennin react to what Kabuto was saying. Most of them were just tense and ready for action. But when Kabuto talked about Oto, and how it was weaker than the other villages due to it's recent creation, the three gennin from Oto actually attacked.

The squad had a musical note on their headband, the same symbol that Kabuto had on his card to represent Oto. They looked like average gennin, bar the leader, who had all but one eye covered in medical wrap and an odd gauntlet on his arm. He swung at Kabuto, who dodged the blow cleanly. The Oto ninja didn't seem upset by this at all. Kabuto's glasses suddenly shattered and he keeled over on his knees and threw up right on the floor.

'_Intense vertigo induced by sound. I guess these Oto guys are trying to live up to their name.'_

Naruto diagnosed the attack easily and helped the older gennin up, channeling some healing chakra through his back to ease some of the muscle quivers he had. The effects of the attack looked worse than what they actually were, but that was still a rather nasty side affect for a single punch. Naruto squinted his eyes in a glare at the assaulting Oto ninja.

"Get the hell outta here. Attacking a gennin before the exams start is grounds for immediate removal and disqualification. Leave and I might not report you to the proctors."

The Oto ninja sneered at him and was about to reply when the room was suddenly filled with smoke. When it dispersed, a host of several Chunin led by a deeply scarred man appeared before the crowd of gennin. The man's mere presence cowed most of the gennin, and if that wasn't enough, he started yelling at the room.

"All of you, shut the hell up now and act like you've got some damn sense before I fail all of you! There is no tolerance for any rule breaking here and if a single one of you steps out of line then I will have you and your team thrown out of my village in a heartbeat. Understood? Now form a line and come get your number. The exam is about to begin."

Not a single word was uttered as every gennin in the room lined up and received their number, identifying what seat they were going to sit in. Naruto got his number and took his seat, pleasantly surprised to see he was sitting by someone he knew.

"Lucky us, eh Hinata-san? I'm so glad I can sit by someone that's friendly instead of someone glaring a hole through my head."

Hinata's pale eyes, signature of her family's doujutsu, left their target and met Naruto's own blue eyes. The girl smiled slightly before saying "Yes, you're right. So many people here are giving us hard looks, just because we're rookies. I feel sorry for the others. They're all spread out and all alone."

"True. But this exam will be over soon and you can join back up with your team. Let's do our best to make sure that we meet all of the others in the second exam, right?"

The girl nodded, although she didn't look very self-assured. The proctor began to speak again, introducing himself. "I'm Ibiki Morino, head of Konoha's T&I department and I will be the proctor for the written portion of the Chunin Exams. My assistants are fixing to pass out the tests while I explain the rules. There are ten questions on the exam. Each incorrect or blank answer on the test will deduct one point from your score, which starts at 10. You need at least 3 points to pass this test. If you are caught cheating, two points will be deducted from your score, so that means you can cheat up to four times before I throw you out. And if a single gennin fails the test, then the entire squad will be removed from the exams and sent home. This is no place for little kids. Your success depends on you and your teammates both. Now that everyone has a test, we'll begin. Answer the first nine questions and in forty-five minutes, I'll tell you the tenth question."

The proctor stepped back and looked over the room. Every gennin flipped over the sheet of paper that had been placed on their desk and many wanted to shout in horror. The questions were beyond what most of them had ever seen before. Some gennin even slumped their heads down on the desk, already accepting defeat from the impossibly hard questions. Others soon accepted the idea that cheating was their only option and began to do so as discreetly as possible.

Naruto stared down at his exam, looking over every question and rereading them again. Most of them were a math or hypothetical question that were beyond him. But he did spot two that he knew how to solve. They were questions on historical events. Tsunade always liked to talk about history whenever they traveled and Naruto always listened well. He enjoyed hearing her tell him about ancient men and their battles that shaped the countryside in their wake. It was surreal to imagine.

Jotting down what he recalled on the two particular events, both set in the Second Great Shinobi War, Naruto scanned over the other seven questions. He needed at least one more correct answer to pass. He didn't trust his math skills to help him with the advanced problems on the test. And he didn't no the proper way to handle any of the situations laid out in the other questions. So he was left with only one more choice. Cheat.

Naruto glanced over to the Chunin that were lined up along the walls. They had a clipboard in hand and some were ticking off something, eyes wide and gazing over the crowd of gennin. Naruto's eyes drifted center, at the gennin in front of him that all had their heads tucked down. Naruto kept his gaze high, making sure he wasn't ticked off as a cheater by the proctors as he thought about what to do.

"Number 63, grab your stuff and hit the door. Take your team with you."

Naruto's head swiveled to the Chunin who had said that. The man's face was blank and emotionless, even as the gennin began to shout obnoxiously on how he wasn't cheating. Then, in a blur, he reappeared in front of the now standing gennin and buried his fist in the boy's gut, doubling him over. The Chunin grabbed the gennin by his collar and dragged him to the door, which he promptly threw him out of. The gennin's two teammates followed shortly, giving everyone harsh glares as they left.

"Eyes on your own paper, brats. We're only 10 minutes into the test."

Naruto peered at Ibiki as he said that, watching the man closely. Even as the man smiled sadistically, Naruto could tell that there was something else there. The man was holding something back and he had a great poker face to boot.

Nearly a minute had passed by before another number was called. This one didn't say a word, she just left downtrodden with her team. Soon, numbers began to be called out in near succession. More and more gennin began to pour out of the room and Naruto couldn't help but worry on how he was going to get away with cheating if everyone else was being caught. He soon resolved himself to the tenth question and hoped against all hope that it would be one he could answer. If not, then he would have to do something drastic the last minute.

With that thought, Naruto set his pencil down and began to wait. More and more gennin were being called out, left and right, but there was still a large number of teams remaining. Naruto watched the exam judges, growing a little hot in the test room. Must've been the large amount of people in the little space of a classroom.

Naruto waited a little more, growing even hotter. _'This isn't right. No way would having a crowded room make me get this hot. And everyone else would be hot too. I'm the only one sweating. So what's-'_

Naruto spotted his problem while looking over his desk. It was brighter than it was before and the metal bit holding on the eraser was reflecting back light from somewhere. Naruto looked up to see the large light fixtures above him. His eyes were stung by the light hitting his pupils, which dilated quickly with a push of his chakra. Looking past the lights, Naruto saw that the fixture was being held at an awkward angle in order to directly shine down on him.

Naruto frowned as he saw the cause. A strand of ninja wire, nearly impossible to see in the lighting, but Naruto was able to make it out with his chakra enhanced vision. It was running from the light fixture to a desk that was angled to be nearly directly behind him. Naruto didn't dare look to see who was pulling the string, but he knew exactly what to do. If the judges didn't notice already, they would when he was finished.

Naruto waited a few moments for a Chunin to finish calling out a number before raising his hand nearly directly over his head. In the process, he swung his arm wide while keeping his hand firm. His fingers glanced the strong wire that was nearly out of his reach. As his arm stiffened up overhead, Naruto watched the strand of ninja wire go limp. He'd cut it through, just as he'd planned.

The main proctor, Ibiki, noted his raised hand and gave him a nod to ask his question. "Can I go to the bathroom? The doctor wants me to urinate frequently to help me get over a bad kidney infection."

Ibiki read through his bold-faced lie as easily as Naruto had breathed it out. But the man gave him permission to anyways, apparently amused by the blonde's antics. Another gennin asked as Naruto was leaving for the restroom, being escorted by a proctor, if he could go as well. Naruto made it to the bathroom and forced a urination with a medical technique he'd learned, in order to satisfy the proctor. He made it back to his seat and the other gennin got up to go, escorted as well.

Naruto sat down and glanced at the clock on the wall. It showed that there was only five minutes before the tenth question was asked by Ibiki. It would be then that he'd either find his salvation or his demise for the exam. Glancing around, he checked to see if any teams had been eliminated while he was gone. It didn't look like any had.

Ibiki noticed this as well and realized that he had weeded out all the teams he was going to with his current tactics. From the 60 teams that were taking the exams, only 32 were left. Even less would be after he gave the tenth question.

"Alright, the time has come for me to give you the tenth and final question for this exam. But before I do, I'm supposed to tell the new rules that involve this tenth question. The first rule is that you gennin have the option to take it."

"What?" A random gennin cried out, confused. Ibiki continued "If you chose not to take the tenth question, you will forfeit any chance you have of advancing in the exams and you and your team will be sent home. But if you choose to take the tenth question and get it wrong… You'll fail the exam for good and I will personally see to it that you and your team are never allowed to take another Chunin exam again!"

"That's crazy!" "You're kidding!" "That's impossible!" Cries rang out from all over the room as angry gennin stood to their feet in indignation. "Plenty of the gennin here have taken the exams before and failed, but they've gotten to take it again."

Ibiki just shrugged, replying callously "I'm making the rules this time. Now if you have any problems with this, there's the door."

Naruto slumped down into his seat, his gut sinking down in a sickening feeling as the news sunk in. He was betting everything on a question that would either pass him by the skin of his teeth or fail him forever. He'd never become a Chunin and never be able to become a full-fledged medic-nin at the hospital. He'd never get the chance to finish looking through the hospital's library, which had some restricted sections just for its medic-nin. His chances of ever coming out from Tsunade's shadow would disappear. No one would take him seriously as the world's greatest medic if he was a gennin.

Naruto looked back at his paper, still only having two answers filled. Looking over the other questions again, Naruto knew he'd never get them right. He had to take the tenth question. It was the only way. Naruto looked up into Ibiki's face, which was set firm and grim and stared the man down. His confidence had spiked as the realization that he'd take his only shot at becoming Chunin, even at the risk of _never_ being Chunin. That man wasn't gonna talk him out of a promotion, regardless of all the other gennin walking out and leaving.

The blonde stared hard at the man as the minutes ticked by, until the man decided that no one else was going to quit. Then, in a surprising display of emotion, the man smiled. "Congratulations. You all pass."

Naruto wanted to stand up and scream at the man, but Konohamaru did it for him. Ibiki didn't mind, instead explaining the test and the tenth question. "This whole exam was to see how well you could gather information. These questions were beyond the normal gennin and even most Chunin. None of you could've passed without cheating. So we hid a few fake test takers with all of the answers in the room and set up a screen. Anyone caught cheating doesn't deserve to be Chunin."

"As for the tenth question," Ibiki stopped, taking of his bandana and revealing massive amounts of scar tissue that had interwoven on his head, the results of extreme torture and abuse. "It tested your resolve to see the mission through. Anyone who gave up wasn't worth the chance to lead as Chunin. They couldn't handle the hard choices, which is what you will all face as mission leaders. Information is invaluable and many shinobi will risk their lives for it. And sometimes, when people aren't willing to make the hard choices, this is what happens." The man pointed at his scars before tying his bandana back in place.

"I got off easy compared to what could've happened. But you all have shown that you can make the hard decisions that come with a Chunin rank. So now, get ready for the second stage of the Chunin Exams!"

Right on cue, a large black ball broke through a window of the room, making a few gennin jump up, weapons at the ready. Midway through the room, the ball unfurled and revealed itself to be a banner that was pinned to the walls by kunai. Inside of that banner was a woman dressed in tan trench coat, mesh shirt and an orange mini skirt, making Naruto stare at the indecent amount of skin being shown by the woman. Her purple hair was tied back and in a spiky ponytail while some of it framed her face. Her eyes were a light brown as they fanned out over the crowd of gennin, sizing them up as if they were snacks.

"You're on time for once, Anko-san. I was expecting you a little earlier." Ibiki poke calmly, despite the rather chaotic entrance the woman had made. Anko just gave Ibiki a peace sign while sticking her tongue out at him mockingly. "You wrapped up earlier than I expected, Boss. I thought you'd take a little longer letting them suffer. And I would think that you could've rid us of a few more than this. There's 23 teams left. Oh well. Half of them won't make it through my exams, at the most."

"Don't be surprised if it happens. This year seems to be a resilient group. They all handled the pressure better than I had hoped. And they're all yours now."

Some of the male gennin perked up at the sound of that, wondering what in the world this attractive and downright sexy woman would have in store for them. Anko sized up the group once more before calling out "Well come on then. On your feet and follow me. Anyone left behind won't know where the next exam takes place at." before hoping out of the broken window and speeding off onto the rooftops.

Naruto sprang to his feet and quickly followed after the woman. She wasn't moving too quickly, as she would've surely left them all if she was going full speed. Naruto was gaining the distance on her, along with a few other gennin, when something twisted up out of the rooftop and tripped him right as he was making a dash to the next roof. His momentum sent him headfirst into the wall lining an alleyway on the street. Naruto managed to adjust himself and landed on the wall feet first, jumping off of it down to the ground below and skidding to a stop as gennin jumped by overhead.

Making a jump, Naruto made it back to the rooftops. Looking back, he saw what looked to be the results of a minor earth jutsu that had caused the roof tiles to pile up in a mound. Naruto turned to see the backs of the gennin speeding a way and made chase. He wouldn't find the gennin would had tried to trip him, but he could guess who it was.

'_I'll pay them back for this if they try anything in the next exam. I'm not gonna waste my chance at becoming a Chunin just to pick a fight when I can get them back later.'_

Naruto pushed to catch back up to the group and made it to a clearing just outside of a fenced in area of dense forest. The proctor didn't seem to notice Naruto's late arrival and was already explaining the second exam. Naruto found the Iwa team of gennin on the far side of the clearing, away from the other gennin. The largest of the three noticed the blonde looking their way and gave him a smirk before returning his attention to the proctor.

"So you brats will report here at dawn tomorrow to receive your assigned scrolls. You will be given a gate and the exam will start as soon as everyone is ready. Don't be late or there will be…consequences."

Anko had finished her statement by licking her kunai, something Naruto hadn't even noticed she had out. Then he saw a cut on Konohamaru's cheek and how disturbed he looked when Anko licked the blade.

'_Oh dear Kami above, don't let this woman be some sort of Jashinist. I thought that sort of stuff only happened in places like __**Yumagakure **__(Land of Boiling Water).'_

With that, Anko dismissed the group of gennin. Naruto walked over to Konohamaru, hoping to get the full details on what was going on in the exam for tomorrow. On his way over, one of the Iwa gennin blindsided him and shoulder bumped him, nearly making him lose his balance, but Naruto recovered quickly enough to save face.

Naruto didn't say anything, just glared at the now snickering group of guys walking off. He'd show them when it really mattered. Tomorrow in that forest when all bets were off, they'd get what was coming to them. Naruto turned to keep going for Konohamaru's team, which was standing around talking to the other two rookie teams, but he was interfered with again. Only this time, it was Neji who blocked him, sided by Tenten and Lee.

"I see you've made it past the first exam. Good. It'll only be harder from here. Maybe even fatal for someone such as yourself, Senju-san. I'd suggest retiring to your clan's manor early to get a full night's rest. You'll need it to fend off all of those teams after your head tomorrow." Neji couldn't have been any snider if he tried.

"We'll probably see you in the forest ourselves, assuming there's anything left of you when Iwa gets there hands on you." Tenten added. Lee gave a thumbs up and grinned widely, apparently oblivious to his teammates disposition towards Naruto and encouraged "Do your very best in the competition tomorrow and we'll have the opportunity to fight, Naruto-kun! I'll win our bout or I'll do 50 laps around the village with my hands tied behind my back!"

Naruto ignored Lee's comment for the most part and addressed Tenten and Neji instead, as they seemed to be the more sane of the three. "I'm sure there will more than plenty of me to go around come tomorrow. Anyone can get it if they want some."

With that, he strode past the two and finally made it over to Konohamaru, who was complaining loudly at Sasuke about something.

"You never go anywhere asides home or a training field, Sasuke! Come on! All of our class is going out to eat at the Akimichi's restaurant and you should come too. Don't be so antisocial all the time. We're not gonna contaminant you or something if you hang out with normal people, Mr. I'm so superior to everyone else."

Sakura was about to berate the youngest member of their team, but stopped when she saw Naruto. She smiled at him and waved him into the group of rookies, chirping "We're all about to go eat at Choji's family restaurant. Wanna come?"

Naruto blinked a few times and looked around at the group. None of the other gennin seemed to mind and Konohamaru even seemed happy to have him come along, so he shrugged and agreed. "Sure. I wanted to ask you guys about the exam tomorrow anyways since I missed most of what Mitarashi-san said."

Kiba picked up on what Naruto was saying, nudging the boy with his elbow "You were spaced out staring at her chest too? See, I told you guys I wasn't the only guy doing that. You should've seen the dude from Kusa, his nose was bleeding the entire time the woman was talking."

Ino punched Kiba in the shoulder, yelling "He's not a pervert like you are, dog breath! He's had a decent upbringing and has manners. He held all of the doors for me when I was showing him around the village and he was so polite and courteous to everyone he spoke to. A true gentleman." Ino had finished in a softer voice, batting her pretty blue eyes Naruto's way as she did.

Rubbing his arm sorely, Kiba asked "So if you weren't spacing out over that psycho woman's massive chest, then why didn't you hear all of the explanation? Did you trip up and fall behind or something?"

Naruto shuffled his feet a bit, thinking of what to say and settled for "You could say that."

The rookies all sort of shrugged of Naruto's defensive answer and settled for getting food. Sasuke even agreed to come along. Feeling eyes on the back of his head as he walked beside Ino, Naruto couldn't help but figure that Sasuke had changed his mind about the trip more on his arrival than the food. Ino helped keep his mind off of it as she chatted on and on about the survival test that was going on tomorrow and how she was going to do great at it, even if she had two unhelpful teammates.

That started off Kiba and Konohamaru, who soon spun up a bragging contest that lasted them the entire way to the restaurant. Choji led the way inside and scored them an immediate table just big enough for the ten of them. Naruto found himself squished in between Choji and Sakura at the right end of the table. In a way that Naruto doubted was circumstance, Sasuke ended up sitting across from him.

Even if the meal was going to be painful as the Uchiha was going to be staring him down the entire night, Naruto put up a brave and bright face, asking about all of the rules to the exam tomorrow and making sure he had everything straight. A waitress came by and took orders and after she left, Naruto recapped to make sure he had everything.

"So basically we're being thrown into a dangerous forest filled with hostile predators in order to find other teams of gennin to fight over a scroll that we need to get in the tower in the center of the forest all in a five day time limit. We're not allowed to, under any circumstance, look inside the scrolls to see what they say. If we lose our scroll or one of our teammates die during the exam, we lose. That's just great. I've always wanted to do something like this." Deadpan sarcasm was the undertone of the last two statements, making Choji chuckle a little.

"It's not so bad, Naruto. I'm sure if you find a Konoha team like one of us, you could work with them to get the scrolls you need. It'll be safer and more efficient that way anyways."

"That's not what this test is about. This test is about surviving as a team. Naruto will just have to be his own team in this one." Sasuke stated coldly from across the table. He picked up and sipped his tea glass, setting it down and never taking his eyes off of the blonde across from him.

'_Does he know about the __**Kage Bunshin**__? Has he seen me use them? Kakashi told him not to follow me anymore and I haven't felt him around whenever I practice the technique. I sure hope not. That's my only real secret ninja technique I have right now.' _Naruto wondered. Sasuke wasn't giving any signs that he knew what was up, but Naruto didn't doubt that the Uchiha had a good poker face. That last statement was awful suspicious.

The food arrived quickly and scattered Naruto's thoughts as everyone began to dig in with relish. Naruto found his dish of choice for the night, beef teriyaki, was delicious. He tore into it with a fervor, just like everyone else at the table seemed to be doing. Even the more reserved gennin seemed to get carried away with their meal. It was just that good. Naruto set his utensils down with a sigh after he finished his food, patting on his swollen stomach.

"I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. That was some of the best food I think I've ever eaten in my life. Your family has some amazing cooks, Choji-san."

The brown-haired gennin just nodded his head, biting into a buttered role and waving at the waitress as she went by, signaling it was time for his third plate. Naruto let himself sink down into his seat a little further, listening to all of the light chatter going on farther up the table. He didn't comment, too willing to simply focus on the warm feeling emitting from his stomach.

The other gennin began to wrap up their own meals and Choji stopped eating too, although it seemed to be a struggle for him after he polished off his fourth plate. The group of ten split the bill and left hefty tips as they left, even as Konohamaru complained that he'd just spent all of his weekly allowance. The gennin left the restaurant and began to split up, each team heading off towards their own homes as a group. Team 8 and 10 left first, leaving Naruto with Team 7.

"Well that was a great idea, you guys. I feel fit to burst any minute now. I'll have to bring Shizune by here some time and show this place to her. Anyways, I'll see you all tomorrow. Night!"

With that, he turned and departed, making his way towards the clan district of the village. He wasn't alone. Naruto strolled through the pathways back towards his home, making sure he'd gotten a decent enough distance from the village that no one would be likely to overhear this next conversation.

"Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei told you that to quit following me around. It's annoying, and quite frankly, it's pretty damn creepy."

Sasuke dropped down from a tree branch, landing coolly in a pose. He straightened up and dusted himself off, before getting to the point and asking "Why can't you tell me what I want to know? What did you even mean when you said you were going to fight him? That doesn't make any sense. You're nothing to him. You weren't even in the village when…" The boy broke off, not wanting to finish his statement.

"When he killed off his entire family, bar one. I know the story, Sasuke. I'd offer my condolences, but you wouldn't like that and I don't feel like wasting my breath. I am not supposed to tell you anything about anything because what you want to know is considered classified information, possibly A-rank or higher. Me and you could be get in some serious trouble if I told you. And I don't know about you, but I'm not letting Ibiki get his hands on me any time soon. I hear he's a monster at torture and punishment." After seeing the man in person and after all he'd put the gennin trough today, he believed the rumors.

Sasuke seemed to bite his tongue for a moment, before calming himself some and asking harshly "Is there anything useful you can tell me that won't make me want to turn you to ash?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment, putting his hand underneath his chin and striking a pose, more to annoy the Uchiha than to help his thinking. His mouth quirked up some around the corners in a small grin as he thought of what he could say to his own advantage as well.

"What you're looking for will show up around me soon enough. So long as I'm alive, it'll come. So if you stick around me long enough, you'll get your shot. But you'll have to get a lot stronger before then and I'll have to stay alive until then. Ok?"

Sasuke seemed to get the message and was about to turn away to leave when Naruto asked "So you'll help me if I need it tomorrow, right? I can't say I won't slow you down, but a medic on your side during a 5 day survival challenge would be invaluable. You can't deny that."

Sasuke stopped for a moment, snorted in amusement, before jumping off into the trees that lined the pathway and vanished off into the leaves, assumingly headed off to the deserted Uchiha manor. Naruto just shrugged his shoulder. Maybe he'd gotten himself a possible ally for the test tomorrow?

He doubted it, but he would just have to wait and see. Naruto finished his trek to the Senju manor and let himself in, finding Shizune waiting for him around the kitchen.

"You hungry? I was just about to fix myself something. And how did the first exam go? Did you and all of your friends make it through ok?"

Naruto caught Shizune's eyes for a moment, giving a brief smile and responding "Yeah. I did alright and all of the other rookies passed too. Tomorrow will be a survival test that'll last five days. I'm thinking of all the things I'll need for the exam." Shizune nodded and began to list off all the things she would carry.

Naruto let her help as they roamed around the house, gathering up all of the supplies Naruto would take with him for tomorrow and sealing them away in a scroll. Naruto tucked the scroll safely away in his jacket pocket so he wouldn't forget it come morning and sat with Shizune as she ate her simple supper of ramen. As the brunette slurped away at the flavored noodles, Naruto stopped and asked "Where's Kaa-chan at? I figured she would be here busting my guts for all the gritty details on how my day went. Is she still at the Hokage Tower or something?"

Shizune nodded, answering after swallowing a mouthful of noodles "The Third had some important documents to go over with her on all of the officials that would needed to be round up for the later stages of the Chunin Exams. Tsunade has to authorize the missions to send messengers to these officials while the Sandaime himself addresses the Council on certain matters. She's expected to be late, so you may as well tuck on in for the night. I'll tell her everything whenever she gets in, Ototo (Little Brother). Go on to bed."

Naruto nodded, giving his sister figure a small hug before going to settle in for the night. He'd need all the rest he could get. But as Naruto settled down to get some shut-eye, he couldn't help but feel a little pang of sadness. He'd been counting on Tsunade being here to congratulate him on his success, mock him some, and maybe even give him a little encouragement for tomorrow. To make it worse, Naruto realized that with her taking over as Hokage, she'd be around even less. The Hokage was always busy with something and wouldn't have time to waste comforting him.

Naruto closed his eyes and wrestled with the dark thoughts that maybe he was losing his mother in a way that he couldn't get her back from.

* * *

AN: So there. Not the best of endings, but not all chapters can be happy all the time. I think this chapter was pretty hard to write. It was a bit boring, as there wasn't any way to spice up a written test without adding in a bunch of new elements. But I got through it and I've added a little more interaction between Naruto and everybody to set the stage for the Forest of Death. And it feels promising.

Iwa will be out for blood, Team 9 will certainly stop to pick a fight with Naruto, and he doesn't even know if he can depend on any of the rookie teams to help out like they said they would. And that's not even counting Orochimaru's involvement in the mix. I remember what I put in the summary, you guys. He's gonna have interest all right. So I can't wait to see you next time. Until then, Big Willis out!


	6. Welcome to the Jungle

AN: So how are you guys doing out there? Sitting at computer screens, arcing your neck in funny angles to read the itty bitty words off of your monitor screen. That has to suck. I, fortunately enough, have found a way to avoid that painful irritation in a manner I shall not be passing on because I'm just mean like that. Anyways! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's properties. I think if I say that enough, then Murphy's Law or something will spring to life and make me a liar by giving me Naruto to ruin in my own twisted way. Song Title goes to Guns & Roses. I'm sure some of you will recognize it.

Chapter 6

Welcome To The Jungle

A soft fluttering could be heard in the room, followed by the rustling of bed sheets. Silence gave way to the faint but persistent vibrations of life. It waxed and waned, before growing into a much louder and consistent humming. A spark of blue stirred as one young man opened his eyes to the faintly lit room.

"Morning, Naru-chan. Sorry for waking you up so early, but I thought you'd like to have breakfast with me before I had to return to the Tower for some more meetings today."

Some grumbling was heard, but nothing was distinguished from the mess. Naruto rolled on his side, looking up to see Tsunade softly smiling down at him, letting the green aura fade from her hands. It was an old childish practice between the two. Oftentimes when Naruto was younger, Tsunade would gently secrete medical chakra into his system to help jumpstart the blonde. The results weren't all that impressive, but Naruto as a kid often compared it to waking up in heaven.

Tsunade got off of his bed and made towards the door, saying "Be quick about it too! I can't afford to be late, you know."

Naruto rubbed at his eyes some before sitting up right. Stretching out some, Naruto kicked the sheets back and freed himself from the comfortable confines of the bed. Slipping out of the room and shuffling to the kitchen table, Naruto was greeted to the sights and smells of a small breakfast waiting for him. Tsunade peered over the door of the fridge, asking "Milk or juice?"

Naruto pulled his chair out and sat, grabbing his fork before replying "You already know."

The older blonde grunted before grabbing the milk carton and shutting the fridge door with a thump. Before making her way to the table, she plucked a small bowl filled with a white powder reminiscent of sugar. Pouring a glass of milk for the younger blonde who had already set into his meal of eggs and toast, she gestured with the bowl and asked "You want me to add some of this too?"

Naruto glanced up from his food and took a whiff of the powder before declining. "I'd rather not have any of that sitting on my stomach all day. With all the running around, I don't think it'll sit too easily. Best not risk it."

Tsunade shrugged, before using a spoon to dip out a hearty measure of the herbal powder into her own glass of tea and stirring it in. "You think you'll do alright?" She probed after taking her first sip of the now bitter tea, watching her surrogate son carefully.

"Yeah. This part will be the worst for me if what I've heard is right. It'll be me versus three other gennin, no matter how I try and go about it. Ideally, I'd like to hook up with one of the rookie teams and work with them. Provide them with medical treatment while they protected me and we worked on getting scrolls. But that's highly unlikely and I'm not betting on it happening. The only bright side there is to this exam is that I won't have to go looking for a scroll."

"You already have people after you? Iwa, I'd guess. Anyone else asides them?"

Naruto poked at his eggs for a bit, before scooping up another bite. "Maybe one of the other teams from Konoha. I made that group of senior gennin angry at the hospital a while back and nothing seems to have changed since then. I don't really think they'll hunt me down, but I've ran my mouth enough that if they find me then I'll be in for it."

"You'll do well to stay away from them at all costs." Tsunade warned, making sure she had Naruto's attention. "That team is a taijutsu specialty team, which happens to be very dangerous for you. I'm not one hundred percent sure what you've been up to this past month, but there isn't anything you could've read in the hospital's library that could help you deal with a Hyuuga and a miniature Gai. The girl, maybe, but you'll do well to heed my words and avoid them."

Naruto nodded, finishing the last of his breakfast. "There was a team of Oto shinobi that I heard were new to the exams. Have you heard of them?"

Tsunade nodded before asking "What of them? They are a new village and should hardly be up to any of the major village's standards for gennin. Did they do something that stood out to you taking the written test?"

Naruto's lips thinned as he thought back. "It happened before the test started. A gennin commented on their new village and how they would be weak, so they attacked him. The leader of the team used this gauntlet thing on his arm when he swung, but even when he missed, the gennin still got vertigo. I think it was some sound that hit the inner ear and scrambled it's message, causing it all. So I was wondering how I would deal with attacks like that."

"Break the gauntlet, for one thing. If a normal gennin could avoid getting hit, then all you have to do is avoid getting hit and counter in some way to destroy the gauntlet. Slap an explosive tag on it or something. And for sound attacks in general, or even genjutsu, just deaden the ears. I've taught you how to deaden body parts for when you're opening them up for surgery. Do the same thing to your ears. Just be ready to knock the anesthesia effect off as quick as you can. Going around without one of your senses would kill you before too long."

Naruto nodded. Tsunade's hand slipped across the table and on top of his own. She squeezed it for a moment, before saying "You're worried. I understand. I was nervous the first time I took this test too, and that was ages ago. But I know you can do this. And even if you don't pass, I'll still be proud of you. You've already done so much. So be proud of yourself, alright? And don't let those Iwa gennin bully you any. Knock their blocks off for me. I gotta run now, so I'll see you at the end of the week, alright? Who knows, I might even be able to make some time to train you a bit for the final exam."

Naruto beamed at that, but the smile tapered off as Tsunade left, heading off to her new calling. The farther she got from the house before finally vanishing from his senses, the less likely he thought he would actually see her any during the month gap between the finals and the second exam. The month gap was filed with the political game that included drawing in as many guests and possible employers as possible. No doubt the Sandaime was going to use Tsunade as his bludgeon of clout to win over new contracts for the village.

Naruto starred down at his empty plate for a moment, thinking on Tsunade's new position that kept her so busy. Naruto was used to seeing her all day everyday. She would instruct him on every exercise he undertook and watched over him carefully. She was his main focus, day in and day out for so long. He'd always tried to make sure he made her proud and did the right thing for her, because she had done so much for him. She was always there, when he'd been so alone before. Now, she wasn't so constant.

The month of training and preparing himself for the exams had kept him occupied enough to not notice, but now that he had a moment to himself, it sunk in some. He was slinking back down into that pit of lonesome again. The train of thought started sucking him in, bringing up past memories he'd long since thought vanquished, but before the unwanted reminiscence set in, the scuffling of someone walking through the room was heard. Naruto stirred and saw Shizune shuffle in, her eyes not even open and her hair stuck in it's traditional 'bed hair' phase.

Naruto smiled a little at the sight, but didn't dare chuckle or laugh. Shizune had expressed to him very seriously once upon a time that he was forbidden from provoking, taunting, teasing, or tricking Shizune when she was in her morning state. He'd tried it once and only once. Never again would he awaken such a demon of vengeance and furry.

"Morning Nee-chan." Naruto greeted. Shizune didn't even grunt in response, so caught up in her morning funk. Naruto expected this and simply pulled a chair out for her to sit in while he went and poured her what was left of Tsunade's tea. Tempted as he was to add in some of the bitter powder the Sannin had left, Naruto decided against it as he set the cup in front of Shizune. Naruto turned his back to grab sugar to offer for the otherwise bland tea, but before he could even spot it, Shizune cheerily sang out "That was delicious tea, Ototo. I never knew you had an hand for brewing. I'll let you make mine more often."

Naruto snapped back around to Shizune, confused and wary. The days were few and fewer when Shizune would snap out of her morning funk before having drunk at least 3 glasses of tea. It wasn't impossible for her to do it, but for only glass of tea to do it? What in the world had Tsunade brewed?

"Kaa-chan brewed that before I had even gotten up yet. And you know I'd burn water before I'd make drinkable tea, Nee-chan. Are you feeling okay?" He didn't want to sound accusing, lest he ruin her mood, but something must be off.

"I feel fine. In fact, I feel great. Now that I'm up and awake, I'm ready to go and meet the day. I've got a bunch of errands to run for Tsunade since she's so busy herself, but now I feel like I can do them all and still have time to meet up with everyone for karaoke tonight at the Jonin lounge."

With that, the brunette tucked into her own plate of breakfast that Tsunade had prepared in advance for the woman. While she was doing that, Naruto took the moment to check back over the teapot, lifting the lid to draw in a deep breath of the aroma. Feeling something was off from the normal smell of the morning tea, Naruto grabbed Tsunade's empty cup and swiped his finger down inside of it. Tasting the small bit of tea on his finger, Naruto's mind began jumping around as a whirlwind of thoughts began swirling around.

Naruto glanced over to Shizune, who was still digging into her breakfast, oblivious to what Naruto was doing. Peering down into the cup once again, Naruto couldn't help but wonder _'Why is Kaa-chan making her tea so strong? This would keep her up for the next 20 hours unless she flushed it out of her system. And adding in her personal mixture of herbs would only accent this hype. Is the Sandaime keeping her this busy doing all of the prep work for the final exam? If this isn't the first time she's been making it this strong, then she's gonna burn herself out and crash. But what can I do? She's off at the Hokage's Tower now and I don't have the time to go see her before I need to be at the training field for the test.'_

Naruto's eyes drifted over to Shizune, who was just starting to finish up and smiled at him as she drained the rest of her cup of tea. _'No. Shizune would freak out if I told her and have a panic attack on Kaa-chan while she's busy trying to do stuff. Plus, she's hyped up on this tea too. I guess I'll just have to leave it be for now. By the time the test is over Tsunade will have had her crash and she'll only have herself to blame. I just wish I could help her like Shizune's trying to. Whenever I get done with these exams and get a Chunin vest, I'll be sure to help out around the Hokage Tower. The whole village will be better of if her burden isn't so bad to bear. And I'll make sure of that!'_

"Hey, I'm gonna head out for my test. I won't be back until the end of the week because this is the survival part, so I'll see you then, alright?"

Shizune waved him off as Naruto slipped out of the door and made his way back towards the village. He had enough time to take it easy on the way there, strolling through the marketplace to see the village begin to stir. Few people greeted him as he made his commute through, but he returned them all politely and with a smile. These people were probably going to be the last bit of kindness he saw in 5 days.

Naruto arrived at the training ground and saw a majority of the teams had already arrived. The proctor was nowhere to be seen, but it was predicted she would show up right when the exam was about to start. Looking at the teams that were there, Naruto spotted one of the rookie teams and made his way over. Team 10, if he remembered correctly. The famous Ino-Shika-Cho trio, only younger. Naruto made his way over as Ino flagged him down and greeted him.

"Morning Naruto-kun! Are you ready for the exam? I can't wait to lead my team through to the finals, where I can totally beat Billboard Brow and show her once and for all who's the best!"

"Morning, Naruto. I guess you can see Ino is all fired up." Choji added amiably between handfuls of chips.

Shikamaru didn't even bother with a greeting, just grunting at his arrival and nodding his head in a shallow welcome. Naruto greeted them all in kind, before responding with "What do you reckon the chances are of passing the test this time around? The last test wiped out more than half of the teams and that Anko lady seemed to think that this test was harder."

Before anyone from team 10 could answer, Naruto felt a sudden weight drape across his shoulders and bear down on him. He stiffened and barely moved. He tried to remain calm, but judging by the expressions plastered on his fellow gennin's faces and the cold, sharp steel biting at his exposed throat, he was in a perilous situation.

Naruto didn't say a word, too scared to even breathe as the kunai traveled up, scraping at his chin before sliding across his check, nicking it some. Blood trickled out at the smarting cut, but only when the kunai tip stopped behind his earlobe did the assailant speak.

"Harder? I believe you've misspoken little Senju. If I recall, I never said this test was hard. I said that there would be lots of bloodshed. There's a pretty big difference there. An up and coming medic like yourself ought to know that."

A faintly audible gulp was heard by Team 10, but all of the other gennin who had turned to watch the spectacle heard Naruto declare loud and calmly "Thanks for the reminder, Proctor-san. I'll be sure to remember that."

Naruto was shoved forward, stumbling into Shikamaru and Ino. When the three regained their footings, they all turned to glare at the psychotic woman who was ignoring them to scan the crowds. Naruto and Shikamaru shared a look before scanning the crowd themselves. The scene had been witnessed by everyone and more than a few were riled up. Naruto noticed the Iwa gennin leering at him and laughing to themselves. They must've found it funny that he was getting mocked by his own village.

Shikamaru wasn't as concerned with them as he was with the Suna team. He'd observed them carefully ever since Sasuke had mention the youngest one, Gaara. The three seemed skilled and at the exams for a purpose to win. From what he'd heard, Suna was in a poor condition anyways and would've likely sent their best team to showcase that they still had good standing among the villages. Shikamaru inconspicuously gauged all three of them and couldn't help but be unnerved by the glaze that overcame Gaara's eyes as he eyes Anko's still exposed kunai.

Naruto was furious, knowing exactly what Anko's intention had been when she cut him. She was spilling the first drop of blood in shark-infested water, leaving him to get eaten. After the woman finished looking all of the gennin over, she looked down at Naruto and smirked.

"I've got a lot of money sitting in the Jonin's betting pool that you won't make it out of the woods. I even suckered Shizune into betting on you passing. But now that everyone's got their eye on you, I'll make the biggest haul of the year! I guess I should thank you since it's gonna be your blood that earns me all of my dango money. Kakashi alone will keep me stuffed with dango for a month. Some people must have a lot of faith in you just because of your last name."

Naruto didn't let the last comment rile him up any, because he knew the woman had a point. A lot of people had expectancies of him just because of his mother's standing. That, and he assumingly should have inherited the Yondaime's genius too.

"Maybe you should've thought about who you were betting against for a minute there. Just by looking at you I can tell intelligence isn't your strong suit, but anyone should pick up that if Kakashi Hatake of all people bets on me, then it's a guarantee that I'll pass. So when you go broke paying of your shitty gambling luck, remember that you should never bet against Senju Naruto, because fortune is always in my favor."

The woman snorted, but didn't respond. She made her ways to a small booth that was set up to distribute the scrolls discretely. Jumping on top of it, she whistled and got the attention of all the teams that had now arrived. With everyone present, the Tokubetsu Jonin started to explain.

"Once all of you sign these forms that clear Konoha from any responsibility at your injury or loss of life, all of you will come through this booth one team at a time and receive your scroll and gate number. Now remember that you need both a heaven and an earth scroll by the time you reach the tower to pass. Since none of you will know what the other teams have, you may have to fight more than one team to get what you need. Now, come get this form from my servant Chunin to sign or go the hell home."

Immediately, all of the gennin began to shuffle to the two assistant proctors and grabbed a sheet and pen. None of the teams wavered when it came to signing the form, but Naruto noticed that there were a few shinobi that were uncomfortable with the possible and likely death. The few that Naruto saw were surprising. Two of the Suna shinobi were showing a few veiled signs of being uncomfortable. The subtle muscle twitches along the mouth and neck were a give away. Sakura, on the other hand was much more obvious by the less subtle shifting of weight from foot to foot and her uncertain demeanor.

Naruto would've been a little concerned for her, but the astounding amount of confidence that Sasuke was emitting, coupled by Konohamaru's self-assurance made him feel safe for her. She would be just fine with two of the year's top rookies. Naruto watched as a few of the teams sent emissaries to the little tent to collect their scroll for the exam. Naruto followed along behind Shikamaru and somehow Shino ended up in a makeshift line of would-be Chunin. None of them spoke to each other, but the mutual neutrality was enough to create some comfort. Naruto was whisked into the tent when it was his turn and had a scroll thrust into his chest. He only glanced at the earth kanji before tucking it away securely in an inner pocket. He strolled out of the tent quickly, making his way over to the Chunin that was assigning gates for teams to enter through.

Just as Naruto was arriving, he noticed a faint thud of impact and saw what looked like the skewer from a stick of dango standing upright in his path. More importantly, Naruto saw how close it had traveled to the man's head, grazing the man's ear slightly. The man's stance never changed or showed any outward signs of intimidation, but Naruto was looking at the man's face. He was scared. Glaring at the purple-haired proctor sitting on the fence eating another stick of dango with a grin on her face, Naruto saw where this was going.

When he got closer to the Chunin, he made sure Anko couldn't see his face by positioning the man between the two. With that bit of secrecy, Naruto adopted a solid stern and serious face, one that had won him more than a few hands at poker. Looking up into the older and larger ninja, Naruto coldly chided "I'd hate to see what would happen to a dead-end Chunin who's been stuck doing security detail for the past 4 years if the soon to be Godaime found out that he had assisted a deranged and psychotic Tokubetsu Jonin in winning a bet that would cost the said soon to be Godaime her one and only heir that means the world to her. I could only the imagine what kind of torture she would assign to that Chunin for sabotaging a perfectly innocent gennin's chances to rise higher in the ranks of Konoha's forces."

The Chunin didn't even respond, his head just dropped down to the clipboard in hand. He was probably at a loss of what to do. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Anko was a prominent member of Konoha's T&I department and would surely inflict some sort of masochistic punishment on him for failing to help her. But to risk the wrath of the future Hokage could be even worse, especially if it was indeed tracked down to his deliberate interference that cost Naruto. The Chunin couldn't even imagine what Tsunade would do to him. Naruto didn't say a word as the man scribbled something down on the clipboard and tersely hissed out "Gate 17."

Naruto was equally wordless and failed to resume a good mood when he strolled off to his gate to take his position. The test was due to start soon and he didn't have anything left to say to the other gennin before the test started. He'd wished all of the rookies good luck and was still silently hoping to meet one of the teams in the exam. Three flesh and body teammates would be a lot more reassuring than any number of his clones, but he would make due with what he had.

A speaker cut on, making a harsh crackling noise before it was adjusted some. Naruto stared up at the post it was set upon as he heard Anko's voice float through it. He just imagine the ferocious grin she was wearing at the moment. "Alright kiddies, listen up! As of now, the Second Stage of the Chunin Exams has begun. Proctors, open the gates!"

Naruto's gate opened up at the woman's bidding and Naruto was left with no other choice but to go forward. He heard the chain link fence shut close behind him, sealing him in as the thick forest loomed dangerously overhead. Taking a few steps forward, Naruto could already hear other life deeper inside. Gathering his strength, Naruto leapt into one of the higher branches of an old and withered tree, before turning west to travel along the fence line.

He'd already planned out what he was going to do, but recited it to himself to make sure he knew and to reassure himself. "Alright. Follow the fence until the next gate, then head farther in. If every gate had a team then chances are in my favor that I'll be following another Konoha team when I get there. I'll head towards the tower then and see if I can't catch up to the team ahead of me. If it's a team I know, I can join up with them. If not, I can take them out from behind and then make my way to the tower. If I have both scrolls then I'll just enter. If I got two of the same scrolls, then I'll trade with one of the teams that will set up ambushes by the tower. Assuming they don't kill me on sight of course."

His course of action in mind, Naruto sped off, moving through the trees as fast as he dared. His plan relied on catching up with the other team, which was fairly possible if he was fast enough. The team ahead could only move as fast as the slowest member and Naruto was betting that he was faster than the average gennin. He may have been miscalculating, but with all of the training Tsunade had given him strictly on speed and reaction time, he would hope that he was better than most at this particular aspect of being a ninja.

Naruto pressed on, keeping a steady pace until he finally spotted the next gate lining the fence. Setting himself directly in line between it and the tower he could faintly spot in the distance, Naruto stopped for a moment to catch his breath and prepare for the next part of his plan. He'd have to be much more careful when following the next team. He couldn't come blitzing through the forest or he'd ruin whatever element of surprise he'd have against possible enemies.

So to prepare for that, Naruto made one of his few practiced hand signs and created three **Kage Bunshin**. They would be his scouting party that would inform him whenever they came upon another team. The idea was that he would follow a short distance behind while they scouted ahead. If they found a team, they would identify them as possible ally or enemy before dispelling. Naruto would then be able to plan accordingly on what to do. He spread them out, One to the left, one to the right, and one in the middle as he followed behind.

He had to go slower, in order to avoid drawing the attention of the team he was supposed to track, but Naruto still had high hopes that he would catch up to the team before night fell on the first day of the exam. It made for a lonely and somewhat dull run. He had no one to talk to and nothing to look out for. His clones were on the look out for anything amiss so he was free to let his mind wander some.

'_I wonder if Kaa-chan is still at the office? I bet so. Maybe Shizune snuck in to bring her some lunch. The Sandaime could surely afford to spare her an hour for the woman to eat. If he's run the village for so many years, why does he need her help so much in the first place? Shouldn't he be used to organizing Chunin Exams in Konoha by now? I know they're making a big deal out of this one in particular but if the old man wears Tsunade out before it's over then what good will it do? An exhausted Hokage that has only just started would lead the village down a decline, no matter what show we put on for the Chunin Exams.'_

Naruto's face grew grim. He knew it wasn't his place to worry over things like that, but it couldn't be helped. He was worried for his mother. The memories of her morning tea were still fresh in his mind and the disturbing message that it had left him with. The thoughts only left him more determined to succeed in the exams. It was the best way he could think of at the moment to ease Tsunade's burden.

The clone party ahead of him lead him for nearly 3 more hours before one of them dispersed. The information it brought back made Naruto stop in his tracks. He was following the wrong team. Somehow, some way, either through interference or just unnaturally bad luck, Naruto had been assigned a gate next to the Iwa team. He'd been following the very people who were out for his head. So now he was left with two options.

He could just abort his tracking mission and distance himself as much as he could from the team. He'd have to search for another team to get a scroll from, which could take a dangerous amount of time. There was another problem with this course of action. If Naruto didn't tend to this team himself, there was a chance that he would have to deal with them in the one on one matches during the Third Exam. There he'd have a stadium full of spectators watching his every move.

But if Naruto chose to continue after the three Iwa gennin, then he'd have to face them down now. He'd have the element of surprise going for him if he planned it right, but that wouldn't guarantee his victory. They would still have the numbers advantage. His clones might be able to provide him ample cover to take them down without being overwhelmed, but it was a risk. He'd have to make sure that his ambush counted and got at least one of the gennin.

Tsunade's words from earlier that morning rang out in his head, clear and sound. _'Don't let any of those Iwa gennin bully you. Knock their blocks off for me.'_ Naruto thought about what Tsunade would do in his place. _'She'd probably just charge in there and level the whole forest on top of their heads, then spit on the graves. But I can't do that and I don't have teammates like Jiraiya or Orochimaru to back me up like she did when she took this test. But I'd be letting her down if I let my fear of them keep me from making the right decision. I'm gonna have to go after them and take them out for their scroll.'_

Naruto began his pace again, dispelling the remaining two clones to replace them with new ones. The three clones scattered from their creator, making their way to their assigned positions to track the Iwa team. Now that he knew what team he was after, Naruto could let his clones watch out for any decent ambush points and to watch for any signs of weakness or openings for attack when the time came. He was going to play this very carefully and make sure he knew as much as he could about the team before he attacked.

Night fell and the clones all popped themselves, reporting back a flood of information that made Naruto sway on the branch he'd been waiting on. The team was stopping for the night and was setting up a small camp to rest at. They were using ninjutsu to shape a defensive position out of what would've been an otherwise empty and flat clearing. Now it was a decently fortified enclosure, mostly underground. There were only two entrances that Naruto's clones had spotted, but given the proficiency the team had with manipulating the earth, he could safely assume that there would be more underground.

The clones provided other helpful information as well. It was decided that attacking the team while they were hunkered down for the night would be unsuccessful. Naruto didn't have an assuring way to bring down the underground encampment in one fell swoop without resorting to something overly drastic for the situation. No, it would do better just to attack them the next day, either right as they rise or when they begin to settle down for the night the next day. Those would be the opportune times to strike.

But beyond that, Naruto also learned that the largest of the Iwa gennin was the ninjutsu specialist of the team, judging by the large amount of chakra coming off of him when he was performing his Doton jutsu earlier. The second appeared to be a taijutsu oriented gennin, judging by his large physical mass and the odd twin hammers tucked away on his belt. The third member was a little harder to place, given his thin build and lack of distinctive traits. Naruto had to think on him for a while before deciding he was likely a genjutsu user or someone who used some of the less practiced arts. He would be the main target for the ambush come tomorrow. Better to deal with the unknown before handling the others.

Naruto edged closer to the Iwa's burrow site, making sure his clones were meticulously careful as they crept into better positions on opposite sides of the clearing to watch it over from every angle. Naruto himself was leaving the watch duty to the clones. He himself was going to get some rest. It wouldn't do him any good to ambush freshly rested targets when he himself hadn't slept any. But he didn't feel too comfortable just sleeping out in the open, or up in a tree.

Naruto thought to himself on what to do before heading farther up the tree he had been perched in. The branches got thinner and less stable, but he was getting more and more out of sight and away from where other shinobi would think to look. Once he got high enough for his idea, Naruto bit into his thumb before rolling through one of the few sets of hand seals he knew.

A thick cloud of smoke arose from where Naruto had slammed his hand down on the rough bark. Naruto waited for it to clear, confident in what was waiting inside of the smoke. Sure enough when it cleared, Naruto found his expectancy met by the large human sized slug. It clung to the side of the tree with the same skill Naruto could expect of any ninja,

"Greetings, Madam Katsuyu. It's been a while since I summoned you last, right? How've you been?"

The slug looked directly to him, her eyes swiveling on their stalk after taking in her environment as anyone with her amount of experience would. "It has, Little Naru-chan. I've been well at home in the caverns. Tsunade's informed me of recent events and how I'd likely be called to help you out during these exams. I'm at your service."

"I'm honored to have you around. But for now, I don't have much to ask of you. I'm watching over my targets for the exam, but I need to rest for the night. I called on you for cover while I did just that."

"I understand. Whatever you'd ask of me, Little Naru-chan. You've long since earned the right to call on me for such a thing."

The slug was right. Naruto had earned the respect and favor of the slug boss years back when he first began to summon slugs under Tsunade's instruction. The slug summons were different from other summons in that the slug you got was the same every time, but the size was what was affected by the amount of chakra used in the jutsu. Katsuyu's ability to split into multiple slugs that all operated in synch with each other was a marvelous feat and one Naruto longed to study further, but Tsunade had refused it. She'd always said it was something he'd learn much much later in life.

He'd placed that curiosity aside in order to learn about his summon and he'd been surprised by what he found. While not the most combat oriented summon, the Slugs were one of the legendary three for a good reason. They were extremely adaptable, no matter what the conditions. In combat, they were hard to injure due to Katsuyu's defense mechanism of splitting down into thousands of tiny slugs to avoid attacks, then reforming.

They also served as great information bearers, as Katsuyu shared one mind between all of her bodies. So that meant if one slug was told something, then all of the slugs would learn this as well. The slugs were invaluable partners for long distance communication. They were also immensely helpful in travel. While not that fast on her own, Katsuyu could reverse summon her contract signers. The cool part was that could Katsuyu summon these ninja to other slug bodies. In theory, this would mean that a slug summoner could be summoned between two or more different points so long as Katsuyu was there.

It wasn't as fast as Hiraishin and wasn't applicable to fighting, but it was still an incredibly powerful and useful ability. Naruto would've never imagined he could view slugs of all things in the light that he did, but they were worthy companions to have in any situation. A little strange, but it was worth overcoming a little uncomfortably to do what he was about to do.

Katsuyu swelled up from her spot on the tree, making the wood groan, but neither of the two were worried. Naruto stepped to the slug, merging with it in a bizarre form of symbiosis. Naruto was completely enveloped by the slug, as if he'd been eaten by the shell-less mollusk. Thankfully, it was a safe procedure. Messy, maybe, but one couldn't expect to be ingested and come out clean.

It wasn't hardly a jutsu between the two, so much as Katsuyu had reformed herself around Naruto in order to form a core of protection. The slug would be safe from any of the natural prey in the area due to the presence she put off as a summon. Yet no gennin would think to bother messing with an oversized slug and would merely play it off as just another part of the dangerous forest. Naruto had a perfectly safe place to rest at.

It had the cost of a continual chakra drain, but for someone with Naruto's reserves, it was hardly noticeable. He'd wake up in the morning without even noticing the drain. The two had actually done this once before, but it was under more pressing circumstance. Naruto still smiled when he looked back on what had happened.

He was much younger and had only just signed the summoning contract for the slugs. He and Tsunade had been out of the town they were staying at to practice the technique. He'd come along pretty well at the jutsu, but before he could try to summon Katsuyu at her fullest, Tsunade had been called back to the town to help Shizune with a accident victim. Naruto had been left outside by himself, which wasn't that distressing at first. But night had started to fall and Tsunade or Shizune hadn't come to get him.

When he tried to go back into town, it'd started to rain heavily and he couldn't see where he was going. Before he got himself lost, Naruto stayed put underneath a tree to stay dry. He spent the time talking with a tiny body of Katsuyu and the two really hit it off. Despite being a slug, she was really conversational and had a surprisingly wit-driven sense of humor. She was also willing to share quite a few embarrassing stories about Tsunade. The rain finally let up about the time Tsunade and Shizune found the pair, but by then Katsuyu had already accepted Naruto as a full summoner before she returned home.

Naruto smirked to himself inside the dark and warm confines of Katsuyu's guts as he thought over all of the blackmail he'd gained over Tsunade that day. He fell asleep with that same smirk. Elsewhere in the forest, a sinister man gave a smirk of his own as he watched over his particular prey as his snake-like tongue slipped out of his mouth to taste the air.

* * *

In the morning, Katsuyu awoke Naruto with a pulse of chakra before ejecting him out of her body. He looked like a grotesque tumor of bizarre design as he separated from the slug's body. When he finished and managed to make it to his feet, he blinked a few times before rubbing at his eyes. The sunlight from the early morning was bright in the upper canopy. His eyes adjusted and he thanked Katsuyu and was about to send her on her way when she stopped him.

"Is there anything else I could do to help you out, Little Naru-chan? You've still got four days left inside this forest and I'm positive that I can help you in some way."

Naruto thought of it for a moment and nothing really came to mind. Then he felt a clone disperse and a flood of memories hit him. It was disorienting, but he kept his balance and his sense of awareness up. And as he sorted through the memories, it hit him.

"Lady Katsuyu, could I ask you to split into four bodies and act as an information relay for me? I'm using clones to track my targets and if you were to attach to each clones and send information from them, I wouldn't have to dispel them and risk losing new info. I know I've kept you summoned for so long, but it would be a great help to me if you could stay. I'll even offer my chakra to help sustain you for a while longer."

"Very well. I'll do as you ask of me. I'd assume that you will want each body to return home if the clone disperses?" The slug asked, already beginning to split itself.

Naruto nodded before popping the two remaining clones and gathering their memories as well. He made three new fresh clones that all tucked away a smaller version of Katsuyu inside their coats before taking off to fill the positions of the previous clones. The original Naruto stayed put to sort through all of the memories and make sure that he didn't miss anything.

It was a slow process and before he realized it, Katsuyu had informed him that an hour had passed and yet there had been no movement from the Iwa gennin burrow. Naruto's eyes widened at the notice and jumped forward immediately towards the campsite. As he descended down the trees, he found a good spot to rest and he whispered to his partner "If you'd do me the honor of checking that out."

The slug was silent in her reply, but crept off of his shoulder and down the tree. She was faster than a normal slug, but it was still slow going as she made her way down to the ground and into the small earthen base the gennin had erected for themselves. Minutes slipped by as the slug disappeared into the shadowy confines, but Naruto couldn't hear a sound coming from inside. He waited and waited, almost getting nervous for his summon, before she finaly reappeared, making haste towards him.

Naruto didn't dare move in case he gave away his position, but when Katsuyu squirmed her way back onto his shoulder, she began to hiss "The tunnels are empty and deserted. There's a hole along the northern edge of the underground tunnels big enough for the gennin to move through. I suspect that they left that hole well before we arrived here this morning, Little Naru-chan."

Naruto's fist smashed against the tree bark before he calmed himself. "Of course. They gave us the slip by leaving underground. But they couldn't have gone far underground or they'd lose too much chakra. And they can't possibly get a scroll if they stay underground the entire time. Tell a clone to go down into the tunnel to make sure it goes north and we'll follow them. I can't let my one sure shot at a scroll get away from me."

Katsuyu nodded before relaying the information to another body. A clone darted of from a tree and disappeared into the subterranean base before Katsuyu confirmed the direction. Naruto skirted around the edge of the clearing to stay in the trees as he headed north. His clones pushed ahead as scouts again, careful not to make their presence known but still trying to catch up to the missing team.

'_I can't believe they slipped away! Why didn't I think about them going underground? Their Iwa nin for crying out loud. It's their specialty!' _Naruto berated himself, thinking _'What kind of gennin has the chakra to waste to do something like that though? I know I can because I'm an Uzumaki and a Jinchuuriki to boot, but this is crazy. Iwa must've picked their very best gennin and put them all on one team to send to these exams.'_

The chase took much longer than Naruto would've liked, but when the clone popped underground, Naruto knew he had caught up to the Iwa team. And to his favor, they didn't seem to notice. Naruto ordered his two remaining clones through Katsuyu to flank the team and be ready for his signal to attack. He wasn't going to give them the chance to lose him again. He made another clone to replace th lost one and Katsuyu formed another slug to attach to it before it slipped off into position.

He had to wait until the time was right, however. The team was hypersensitive while traveling and would be ready for a surprise attack. Thankfully, the Iwa team was heading for the tower so Naruto wouldn't have to back track any after he got their scroll. Regardless of what type of scroll it was, he had still planned to head for the tower afterwards.

The Iwa team were moving faster than they had yesterday, making better time but Naruto could tell that the smallest of the three, the oddity of the group, was beginning to feel the burn. The blonde didn't act just yet though. He'd wait until they pushed him even further, to the point where adrenalin wouldn't overcome his advantage of a greater stamina.

Katsuyu did her part exceptionally well, relaying everything of importance from clone to clone. She proved to be invaluable and Naruto couldn't thank her enough, but the master slug wouldn't have any of two originals exchanged few words as they followed behind their separates, until finally the time came.

It was mid-afternoon of a day with no action or excitement when the Iwa team decided to break off of their dashing through the forest and rest in another clearing. Naruto couldn't afford to set a better stage lest the slip underground, so his clones went right to work.

The three Iwa gennin had hardly touched down in the clearing to check it out when the first clone jumped at them from behind wordlessly. The largest of the gennin shouted in surprise but managed to draw his hammers in time to bash the clone into oblivion as it neared in it's airborne lunge. The second and third clones had used the fatal distraction of the first clone to slip in. The second one was destroyed too by the leader of the group, the ninjutsu specialist. But the third was lucky and managed to get a firm hold of the smallest Iwa ninja's head and knock him out by overloading his brain with stimulus created by medical chakra.

The original Naruto watched all of this from inside a bush and adjusted his plan to what had happened. Dismissing Katsuyu, Naruto weaved through some hand seals slowly to make sure he got them right. It was a chain that was originally used for the anesthesia effect on surgery patients, but he'd tweaked it some to make it more combat suitable and made a useful jutsu because of it.

Drawing in a deep breath to coincide with the last hand seal, Naruto exhaled sharply through pursed lips, as if whistling. Dozens of small needles constructed of chakra spewed from his mouth, hitting one of his targets fully and grazing the other. The effects were immediate.

The ninjutsu specialists had been caught with his back turned as he dealt with the last clone. He received most of the needles and dropped like a sack of potatoes, his body completely immobile from the jutsu effect. The hammer wielding gennin was more aware and avoided most of them, but from the way he was rubbing his left forearm, he wasn't completely unscathed. He'd dropped both hammers and was looking around franticly for another blonde shinobi as he tried to recover.

Satisfied with his ambush, Naruto stepped out of the bush he was hiding in and revealed himself to the lone gennin. "I've incapacitated your two teammates and ruined your chance at winning a fight with me. Give me your scroll and I'll leave you and your teammates alive and unharmed."

The large teen stiffened at Naruto's words, before angrily yelling "I'd sooner die than give you our scroll and my teammates would agree with me too! You dare try and bargain with us? I'll spilt your skull open and drag you out of hell back to Iwagakure with us before a single one of us agrees to work with you!"

The blonde simply shrugged his shoulders, stepping closer to the gennin at a slow pace. "Suit yourself. But when you wake up wondering what happened, just remember that I gave you the chance to avoid all of this."

The teen snarled, before charging in with his one hammer tucked back to deliver a crushing blow. Naruto took the time to look the gennin over, memorizing his every feature. Bald head, dark eyes, scarred chin, thick broad shoulders, and dressed in the standard Iwa uniform of red shirt and pants similar to Konoha's green. Naruto took all of that in a moment's notice before ducking in and sliding forward to avoid the hammer swing at his head. As he dodged, he activated chakra scalpels and lightly grazed the gennin's side with them. It was a glancing touch, but it shredded the gennin's muscles.

He screamed in pain and dropped his hammer, but instead of Naruto seeing a giant dark blotch from internal bleeding on the gennin's side, he instead saw mud. Naruto jumped away from the gennin and watched as he crumbled, slowly dissolving into a loose, wet pile of mud. Looking at the other two gennin that he'd incapacitated, Naruto saw those turn into piles of mud as well. He'd been tricked. They must've known he was following them somehow.

Before he could panic or try to locate the Iwa gennin, he heard slow clapping coming from the far side of the clearing. "Good job, scum. You finally managed to destroy a simple mud clone. I didn't think you had it in you."

It was the ninjutsu specialist talking, leading the group of three out of the trees and into plain daylight. _'Arrogant prick.'_ Naruto noted to himself, but kept his mouth closed. He had to think of something to tip things back in his favor. He was flat-footed fighting these three gennin who'd already seen two of his jutsu. Not good.

"So are you just gonna stand there? You spent all that time tracking us down and now you're not even going to attack. What a cowardly thing to do. What kind of ninja is too scared to face down his own targets? Even your damn father fought out in the open, even if he used sealing trickery to butcher hundreds. Yet you won't even attack us three little gennin."

"A ninja who throws himself out into the open heedlessly is a dead one." Naruto quoted, letting that answer for him. He didn't need a lecture from these guys. They were all just carrying chips on their shoulders from an older generation. They didn't know what they were talking about anyways.

"True enough. So here you are, out in the open with just yourself to rely on against us. Your dad fought similar numbers during the war. Let's see if you can live up to the old man." With that, the ninjutsu specialists began weaving hand signs at a furious pace. Naruto's heart jumped up to his throat for a second, before he was forced into action, dodging large spikes of rising earth sharpened like a spear chasing after him.

The jutsu chased him directly towards the taijutsu specialist who was coming in with his hammers, trying to catch Naruto between him and the spears. Naruto simply averted the strikes by pushing the bald gennin's forearms out, before spinning the larger teen and pushing him towards the still advancing spears. The jutsu was canceled in time to prevent the gennin from being impaled by his teammates technique, but it bought Naruto some time to find the third teammate just as he was finishing up a long set of hand signs.

The gaunt oddity smirked at Naruto before uttering "**Magen: Narakumi**! (Demonic Illusion: Vision of Hell)

The clearing fell silent for a moment as all three of the Iwa gennin smirked at the now still blonde. They gave him just a moment before the bald one began to lumber over and finish the bastard son of the Yondaime. Naruto let out a scream, hoarse and harsh, seeing something that wasn't real and wasn't there. The Iwa gennin just smirked.

Right as the large muscled shinobi stood in front of Naruto and drew back for an overhead blow with his hammers, Naruto grinned. The Iwa gennin didn't have a moment to contemplate it before Naruto jumped forward in a head butt that crashed into his jaw, rattling him. Naruto activated his chakra scalpels again to disable the gennin's arms , making them fall limp at his side before head butting him again and making him collapse from lack of consciousness.

The two remaining gennin just stared at the blonde in shock for a moment before the ninjutsu specialist turned on his teammate and seethed "Yogoberu, you idiot! You didn't even sink the genjutsu in! I oughta kill you right alongside him but you're not worth the waste of chakra!"

"I felt the genjutsu hook in! I don't know what happened, but that genjutsu was a success."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at the two's bickering and at his easy bye to breaking genjutsu. One of the perks to utilizing Tsunade's sealing technique for storing up excess chakra was that he had a secondary source of chakra tucked away in his body. Like Tsunade, he kept that chakra stored around his head, but not in a distinguishing red diamond, but rather used it to disguise some distinguishing traits of his own. While that was cosmetically appealing, it also meant that Naruto had so much chakra running around in his head that a low-leveled genjutsu such as that one couldn't hold for longer than a second or so before being wiped away.

The genjutsu had sunk in, but was merely swept away by the enormous amount of chakra coursing through his body. He'd just acted for the rest. A name like Narakumi wasn't that hard to act out. And now that he'd managed to take one gennin out, he couldn't help but feel better about the fight.

"I'm gonna take this brat out myself. You just stay outta the way and try to make your genjutsu work properly this time!" With that, the gennin molded a few hand seals and charged. As he ran, the earth rose around him, layering onto his body like a thick armor. He slowed in speed considerably, but as Naruto leapt away from a downward punch, he could see and feel the pay-off.

At the cost of his near-average speed, he'd gained tremendous strength and punched a five meter diameter crater in the ground. Naruto gawked at the power, before running through hand signs of his own. He didn't want to get close to that guy and this seemed like the perfect move to make.

Spewing more chakra needles laced with anesthesia effect, Naruto called out "**Mahi Hari** (Paralysis Acupuncture)!" The needles all shattered harmlessly off of the earthen armor and had no effect on the gennin, much to his satisfaction.

"Ha! Such a lame technique like that can't possibly hurt me when I'm using my **Tsuchi** **Yoroi** (Earthen Armor) jutsu. Just give up and die!" With that, he lunged again. Naruto waited until the gennin was about to come down on top of him before leaping by him with chakra scalpels activated. He narrowly ducked a clothesline and swiped at the offending appendage. As he turned and landed, he was disappointed to see only a small scratch in the armor.

To make it even worse, the gennin repaired the armor without a problem, flexing his arm to make sure he was still good. As he was doing that, Naruto was mentally cursing to himself. _'I can't beat him by making itty bitty cuts and slashes. I need something to break that armor completely. The only thing that I have that could do that is… no, that takes to long to use in a fight. Unless…' _Naruto smiled slightly, before bracing himself. He was gonna have to take a punch, but it would be worth it. No pain, no gain.

Naruto then dodged around the next few bows headed his way, making sure he placed himself in the perfect position before he slipped up. Near the edge of the clearing, Naruto faked losing his footing and left himself open for a nasty punch. He jumped away from it, avoiding most of the blow, but he was still left with a nasty bruise already swelling up on his ribs.

The punch threw him back into the bushes, where he quickly enacted his plan. Making a shadow clone, he sent it out immediately to buy him some time. Then, Naruto started to gather up chakra.

The clone didn't have much of a plan, but made the most of his short life by hopping around and being a hard target to hit. There wasn't much else to do. His life was so short because o the sudden wave of vertigo he was hit with that left him a sitting suck for the gennin.

"Hey Hirosachi, I got him for good this time. Get him now!" Yogoberu shouted, glad to of finally been some use after failing repeatedly to get a lasting genjutsu. He didn't question why this one stuck, but his excitement quickly died when the blonde gennin erupted in smoke when he was hit by Hirosachi. Then, before either of them could react, a blaze of blue-green chakra in the shape of an arrow ripped across the clearing and passed through the armor wearing gennin.

The lights died down, but the screams started up. Hirosachi collapsed on the spot in a wail as he felt the large hole he was now sporting halfway through his right shoulder. He stared down at the wound that had been dug into him by the strange chakra. It wasn't even bleeding, but all of the flesh had been stripped and bone was showing.

The teen screamed once more, before the pain and shock caught up with him and he passed out. Yomoberu looked ready to die on the spot at the sight of him falling out. He turned with horror as Naruto emerged from the bushes again.

"You! You've killed him! You monster, you went and killed a harmless gennin in cold blood!"

Naruto wasn't sure where to start pointing out the flaws in the only remaining Iwa gennin's logic, but decided to forgo it. Stooping to that low a level was unbecoming of him and could possibly harm his intelligence.

"Where's your scroll, and I'll let you take your teammates and get out of here, alright?"

The gennin just shook where he stood, before pointing to the large bald gennin on the ground. Naruto made a clone go search the body and he found what he was looking for. A heaven scroll, fortunately. Tucking it inside his coat alongside the other scroll, Naruto addressed Yomoberu, who was watching him in a trembling fit.

"Both of your teammates are still alive. I want you to take them both and head back towards the gates. You've lost this exam, so go make sure they get medical treatment and don't die from an infection or something, alright? I don't want any blood on my head thanks to your stupidity, all right? If they die, it's on you."

The gennin just nodded his head repeatedly, before scrambling over to the bald gennin and scoping him up. Naruto was fairly impressed that he could even manage that. It was even more impressive when the skinny gennin picked up Hirosachi. He left the clearing as quickly as he could afterwards. Naruto made a clone and ordered it to follow the three while he rested up a bit. He had to tend to his ribs anyways.

Naruto removed his jacket and shirt, hissing at the sight of the ugly bruise he found on his left side. Prodding it, he hissed again, but began to perform the simple medical jutsu to mend such a thing. The basic task was interrupted by the sudden memories of his clone stumbling across the now rapidly cooling bodies of the Iwa gennin before it was destroyed.

Naruto forced his clothes back on as he fought the bile in his throat. The memories of the clone showed the bodies completely shredded. It was appalling that a person would even do such a thing to an enemy, let alone three defeated gennin. Who would do such a thing?

Chuckling was heard all around the clearing, dark and sinister as a shadowy figure slowly stalked its way forward from the shadows.

"Kukukuku, oh my. I seemed to have upset you with my mercy killing of those useless gennin. My apologies, Senju-sama. Perhaps I can repay you with a small gift of mine?"

Naruto's whole body tensed and froze that way as he stared into the snake eyes of Orochimaru himself as the man stepped out of the dark like a nightmare in real life.

* * *

AN: So…yeah. Finished this up right before my Spring Break trip! So that means I don't have the time to look this over too much for spelling errors or the like before I post because I have to post something before I leave. I feel obligated to. I hope you guys liked this. I thought it was pretty cool. Kinda long for me again, but I enjoyed writing it. I think I got a lot across about Naruto's style of combat in this chapter, since he could go out a little more than he could in sparring. I'll have to push him a lot next chapter though. He'll have to fend off the snake long enough to survive! And I know the times aren't just right, but please play along and let's say that Sasuke has already been marked but Anko has not gotten involved yet. I realize that the anime didn't go this way, but I didn't want to write three whole days of Naruto stalking the Iwa team.

Anyways, review as you leave to tell what you liked or didn't like. I'll have my phone with me to check over any questions or messages that need addressing. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next update. BigWillis out!


	7. Rabbit Run

AN: So yeah guys, wassup? And I'm talking to all the Alerts and Favs. You guys are awesome!. It builds an author's ego up some when he sees things like that. I'm glad so many people have enjoyed the story so far, even if there have been a few snags here and there because of lack of foresight on my part. So here's to the past six chapters and even more to come! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I know that. I'm pretty sure you know that. Let's just make sure Kishimoto and his lawyers know that, ok? Chapter Title comes from 8 Mile soundtrack.

Chapter 7

Rabbit Run

It was quiet. There wasn't a single bit of movement asides her own, the small amount she was making scribbling away at logistics. Her arm was aching from the strenuous cramped usage that came with her new deskwork that had mysteriously thinned out and arranged itself into neat and orderly stacks upon completion. Brushing back her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder alongside its twin, she sighed.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she agreed to her post, but this wasn't what she had in mind for the most powerful position inside her home. The world sure had a funny way of coming down on those with power. It was as big a burden to bear as it was a blessing to wield. She was responsible now. More had been placed on her than ever before and she was beginning to feel the weight.

An entire village. She had served and protected before, growing into one of the village's finest ninja, and the world's strongest kunochi. But this was something that no amount of ninja training could get her ready to face. Not even raising a small child up into the capable young man he was compared to the sheer magnitude of being responsible for the entire population of Konoha. And she didn't even have the hat yet.

Her eyes glazed over as her train of thought shifted, making her blink a few times to moisten them. She was tired and barely capable to keep the pace she had been working at for her sensei. It seemed she was still learning from him, even now. Faintly, Tsunade heard footsteps as she finished reading over a few more numbers to calculate. The door cracked, then swung open after a moment. Tsunade didn't need to look up to know it was Shizune who had slipped into the room, being silent so as to not disturb her.

Shizune was one of the few people allowed to enter in and out of the Hokage's office unannounced, mainly due to her being slated to become the Godaime's assistant upon Tsunade's coronation. Any and everyone else would be held at the receptionist's desk for a moment and be announced by an assistant. In emergencies, Anbu stationed around the tower would flare chakra in a particular pattern to send a message to Tsunade. Sarutobi had introduced her into the system himself quickly and effectively, as if he was running out of time to teach her everything she needed to know. That was why she had been worked so hard.

Shizune surprisingly didn't have anything in her hands when she made it to Tsunade's desk. She simply peered over Tsunade's shoulder and checked her work before commenting "I think you're done for the day, Tsunade-sama. Hokage-sama didn't leave anything else for you before he went to the council meeting and he didn't request for you to sit in. I believe you've got some time off to finally go home and rest for once. That'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

Tsunade's head lifted up from her work as she blinked owlishly at Shizune for moment. The words seemed to sink in some and suddenly Tsunade's gray world seemed to brighten. Shizune squeaked as Tsunade picked her up in a hug, rising out of her chair and stretching out her cramped body and squeezing the much smaller woman in her arms.

"Shizune! I'm done! I've finally done it all. Let's go out and celebrate! Fortune couldn't be any more in my favor!"

As Shizune rattled something off about being irresponsible, Tsunade felt a chill run down her back. She set her long-time apprentice down and wondered where the suddenly ominous feeling came from.

* * *

"Kaa-chan always told me not to take gifts from strangers." Naruto was at a loss. He didn't have the faintest clue what to do. Orochimaru of the Sannin was standing directly in front of him and the look on his face was not a good one. The man was single-handedly the most deadly traitor Konoha had, his name blacker than even Itachi Uchiha to the people of Konoha. He was scum, a sick monster that had experimented on people and committed heinous crimes against the village and life itself. Or at least that was what Naruto had read.

That didn't seem to adequately describe the man in front of him. If anything, the description was lacking. The man exuded an aura of vileness and corruption, almost tainting the air with it. It was a stifling presence that made Naruto worried for his safety and everyone in the village.

And just what was he doing here? Why would he return to the village that hated him? What was he doing in the middle of the training grounds during a Chunin Exam test? And why was he standing here in front of Naruto? It didn't make any sense. So he was left with buying time, hoping he didn't waste his breath or say the wrong thing to set the Sannin off. It was apparent that the man had some interest in him, otherwise he would've never showed himself at all.

"We're almost like family, you and I, Naruto-kun. My old teammates and I were so close to each other, even with Sarutobi-sensei. Tsunade taking you in as her own makes you part of that. Surely you'd be willing to receive a small gift of generosity from your mother's oldest friend?"

Naruto gulped. The humor in the man's voice did little to ease the seriousness of the circumstance and Naruto couldn't break eye contact with him. But his courage couldn't wavier now, lest he be swallowed whole by the monster before him.

"What do you want, Orochimaru-sama? You're a S-class missing nin in this village and you just killed three gennin participating in a Chunin Exams. You stopped to give me some gift, as if I would trust a man who's the most notorious traitor in Konoha's history. What are you after?"

The chuckling the man gave off was ominous and sinister. Humor was beyond Naruto at this point, no matter how much mirth the man was genuinely showing. The man tempered himself and answered the question with the ease of one who'd bought into his own lie.

"I'm here to set forward a chain of events that will perpetuate this stagnate world of ours forward with me as its rightful head. I plan to obtain every single jutsu, no matter how long it takes. So to preserve myself and my future goals, I've invested in a few examinees in particular. You've piqued my interest and your skill in medicine is something to be greatly valued by someone like me. Your talents wouldn't go to waste under my wings, unlike here, where you'll forever be under your master's shadow. That's another thing you and I have in common."

Naruto tensed, feelings coming up unexpectedly at the man's words. While he was obviously speaking of much sinister things than his grandeur dream of every single jutsu being in his possession, Orochimaru had picked right at one of Naruto's personal goals. Never had he imagined how well that had picked his interest in what the man wanted with him.

'_Forever under your master's shadow.'_ Naruto didn't mean to, but his thoughts turned sour at being stuck underneath Tsunade's name and weight forever. Konoha's Slug Princess, one of the legendary Sannin, the World's Strongest Kunochi, and the more importantly to Naruto, the title of World's Greatest Medic. And she was Hokage to boot on top of her near nobility status as the last real Senju. Was he really going to be stuck under that for the rest of his life?

Orochimaru watched the flicker of emotion pass over Naruto's sharp blue eyes and couldn't help the smirk cross over his face. His words had rang true to the boy. It wasn't by mere chance that the Sannin had mentioned being stuck under a shadow. It was something easy for him to sense and it'd be the key to prying Naruto out from Konoha. He just had to plant the seed and let nature do the rest. That fear of inferiority would grow and bloom into something nasty and dangerous. The boy would be forced out from Konoha and in an attempt to put distance from himself and that shadow. And Orochimaru would be the one he'd run to, because Naruto would know that Orochimaru could give him the power needed to escape that shadow's reach forever.

Now the Sannin just needed to mark the boy and test him while he was at it. But Naruto hadn't let his thoughts run away from him just yet. He still was standing ground against a Sannin.

"You can't make me believe that you did everything you've done just to get out from underneath the Sandaime. You were one of the Sannin and hailed as one of the greatest geniuses to ever come out of Konoha's gates. You had worldwide renown and the adoration of your entire village. And you threw it all away because you felt suppressed by your sensei? That's insane." Naruto was firm with his last statement.

"Is it really?" The voice pulled on Naruto's mind seductively. "To truly separate yourself from the people who would smile at your face, then whisper behind your back when you weren't looking. The villagers knew that the strange orphan the Sandaime had pulled out of rags and trained into a legendary ninja would never be a hero to them. They wanted someone like Jiraiya, or your father even. Him being chosen as Hokage over me was proof enough of that. They never accepted me as the genius I was and still am. So I left and made myself into one of the most feared names in the Elemental Nations." Orochimaru spoke with spite, although it was hidden behind his calmness and enticing words.

"How exactly do you expect to survive Akatski when you'll remain second class to Tsunade as long as she's around? There are members in that group that even she couldn't attempt to defeat. What hope will you have against them if you're always the world's second greatest medic?"

"You know about Akatsuki?" Naruto pushed, not letting any of his thoughts on the man's question come to mind. He wasn't going to let Orochimaru's word games get to him. He couldn't afford to if he wanted to get out of this alive.

"Well I was a member of course." Naruto's half step backwards wasn't unnoticed. "Not anymore of course. I have no interest in collecting Jinchuuriki for a leader who couldn't even let me research them first before he drained them of their bijuu's chakra. I never even learned what he was _doing_ with all of that malevolent chakra. Needless to say, when they discovered my prying, they ran me out and took their ring back as well."

Naruto's watchful gaze was vacant for a split moment as the thoughts of Itachi Uchiha and the Kisame Hoshigaki fighting Orochimaru on the run. _'Tsunade couldn't even hit Itachi. Jiraiya-sama got hurt when Itachi surprised him. And this man managed to escape from both of them and others. How big could the gap be between these three?'_ Naruto wondered, his focus on Orochimaru coming back ten fold when the man began to slither forward towards him.

"I want you to live, Naruto-kun. To grow, survive, and thrive. You could become so much more than Tsunade's second apprentice and I could help you get there. Just like Sasuke, this village is holding you back from what you really could be. Now I'm going to give you a taste of the power that waits for you when you make that choice to stay and be overshadowed or to fully step out from that shadow."

The man's head begin to rise higher and higher into the air, making Naruto reevaluate and stare in shock as the man's neck expanded to inhuman proportions. It snaked back and forth, before striking out like a cobra. It was fast as lightening and only the smallest sliver of an inch saved Naruto from being struck dead in his chest by the man's now inhumanly extended fangs.

Naruto continued leaping back, examining the Sannin as he tried to think of an escape. He was using some type of ninjutsu to take on snake-like traits in combat. He'd stretched out his body and even his teeth. It was an amazing accomplishment to a medic like Naruto, who enjoyed studying the applications of jutsu to the human body. But he didn't have time to take notes. He began to flush chakra into his endocrine system and felt his adrenal glands kick out even more adrenaline that before. This state of hyperawareness would hopefully help keep him out of the man's reach until he ran away. He couldn't keep that much adrenaline in his system for long though, or he'd crash in exhaustion.

With that in mind, Naruto hurled several shuriken from his supply pouches that were laced with ninja wire. Guiding them with chakra along the strings, he wrapped the still body of Orochimaru in the wire while the shuriken embedded themselves in tree trunks. The man smirked for a moment as he struggled to free himself. Naruto wanted to warn the man that the wire would shred him, but the words caught in his throat.

The mud clone seemed to taunt him as it feel apart on the sharp wire, making Naruto's neck hair stand on end. The ground beneath him came alive and broke beneath him, a sword rising out of it, followed by the open maw of the Snake Sannin that was its wielder. Naruto's eyes widened, then dimmed as he was run through by the infamous Kusanagi. Orochimaru fully emerged from the ground, not bothered in the slightest by the death of his target. In fact, his smirk grew even wider. He ignored the faint pop that signaled the disperse of the clone at his feet, searching for the chakra flaring wildly like someone on the run would.

It was harder to notice than he expected. In fact, he found that the chakra was remarkably well in control. Pleased, Orochimaru slipped back underground in pursuit of his target. This one proved to be just as fun as Sasuke was. It'd be interesting to see the two compete against each other later in the exams. He'd have to arrange that.

Naruto couldn't help the cold sweat he'd broken out into as he dashed through the trees. He didn't care where he was going so long as he put distance between him and Orochimaru and got some help. He wasn't even sure what direction he was facing, but any way would lead to help. The Chunin guarding the fence or any of the proctors at the tower. Orochimaru wouldn't dare alert his presence to the village, especially with the security so heightened during the exams.

The man must've had the same thoughts, as he sped ahead of Naruto unseen and underground, rising up and out of a tree directly ahead of Naruto. The blonde gennin stopped dead in his tracks, making a single hand seal before a cloud of smoke erupted around him. Several figures shot out of the smoke, each heading in separate directions.

Orochimaru was silent as he chased after one, cutting it off and dispersing it before it even noticed his presence. He'd play along with the gennin. It was a sensible tactic, but it'd be worthless against someone like him. Orochimaru would simply destroy all of the clones and coral in the original before marking him. Such a slaughter would undoubtedly put fear in the gennin, making the chase all the more sweeter in Orochimaru's eyes. He cut off after another clone, destroying it with a hidden snake launched from his sleeve and moved on.

The original Naruto stood perfectly still in his position far away, holding his breath as if it would keep him safe from Orochimaru's search. His clones were being massacred like mere cattle. He needed a better plan, something to draw help or even ward the Sannin from him. It was doubtless to Naruto that whatever 'gift' the man had planned for him would be heinous to nature and dangerous to his health. Brief flashes of memories were filling his mind left and right, but he was suppressing them well enough to think coherently.

The clones had come up with another time-scraping strategy on the fly, using their chakra store to make other clones at the cost of his individual life. It was diminishing in efficiency, but the first few times had proven to be a valid method to keep a certain number of clones on the field. But even with the new method, they still wouldn't last long. Orochimaru was toying with him, prodding at him to see how the specimen would squirm under his watchful gaze.

'_I need a way to tell Kaa-chan. She'd be here in no time and Orochimaru would run. He won't risk facing her and any possible reinforcements she'll bring. He'd cut and run.'_

Naruto was already half-way through the hand seals needed for the summoning technique that would save him when he heard the sinister hiss of a snake. Far too late, Naruto abandoned his jutsu and leapt from his perch on a branch. It was demolished by the massive body of a summoned snake that was angered by the lack of blood it smelled in the air. It recomposed itself and struck again. Naruto, still airborne, struggled to twist himself out of the way of the harmful and possibly poisonous fangs of the serpent. He kicked off of the beast's snout and set a blistering pace away from the monstrously proportioned reptile.

His pace was so headlong, it was impossible for him to stop when a tree was leveled in front of him, sending a shower of bark and wood at him. Harmed only by the small cuts and splinters, Naruto was left out in open air with nothing to land on. Before his heart could drop as he began to descend, another hiss was heard before everything became dark, hot, and sticky wet.

The darkness gave light to one sickening and chilling thought in Naruto's mind. He'd been swallowed whole by one of Orochimaru's snakes. The thought brought about struggle to escape, futile as it was. His arms and legs flailed around uselessly as he tried to find purchase on the serpent's insides. He found none and slipped further down the dark trail. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered snakes had no teeth to chew with, so they had pockets of acid inside to dissolve and digest foods with.

The small fact gave way to a new urgency to save himself from the painful death. Without much other thought but freedom, Naruto sharpened chakra into sharp and thin scalpels, his only sense of light as they flared a subdued green in his environment of pink entrails. The scalpels proved to outmatch this soft flesh, splitting it like a grape.

The snake gave it's death wail, writhing as it fell apart into two pieces. It's meal stepped out of the remains, covered in the beast's fluids and unraveled by the turn of events. He could feel patches of his skin mold back together as the stomach acid faded off and subconsciously marveled at the sight. It was faster than any medical technique he could work and much more thorough. Flexing his hand gave the confirmation that it had healed completely, giving no pain or irritation at the movement.

Naruto was cut off from his self-examination at the dark presence of Orochimaru appearing right before him, rising out of the dead snake with a bemused expression on his pale face. Naruto felt a spike of anger, not fear, that went much deeper than just his chakra increasing his endocrine system as the man spoke.

"You handled that much better then the Sandaime's runt of a grandson did. The brat roasted his snake from the inside out, nearly cooking himself in the process. Even Sasuke took more damage subduing a snake that size. I'd dare to say that you might be even stronger than him, with his eyes still so young. But he'll make a fine Uchiha in time and I'll be right there to lead him down his path of vengeance."

The comparison was meaningless to Naruto, but the superior tone of the Sannin as he stared down at Naruto in amusement boiled his blood. Entertainment was all Naruto was to him. A small satiation of his over bounding curiosity was why he was doing this. He saw something to make squirm beneath him and as soon as he lost interest, he'd crush it or abuse it with his mad experiments until it interested him again. It was sickening.

Naruto saw red creep into his vision, followed by a new wave of energy flush into his body, beyond anything his adrenal glands could produce. There wasn't a question of what it was, as his anger was building up alongside this new energy. His teeth were clinched in frustration and he felt his nails dig into his palms as he balled them up into fists. A feral growl escaped his lips, but it was lost on the Sannin. In fact, the frightening sound seemed to entertain him even more, as if it were music.

"It seems that your seal isn't as tight as it's made out to be. Very well. Let's see how you compare when you've been consumed by your anger." The words were tossed into the air lightly. The pale man still saw no threat resting in Naruto, no matter how much chakra he had flowing through his system. He fully emerged from the snake's hide, walking slowly towards the gennin.

Naruto made no attempts to run. It was the last thing on his mind. All his thoughts were of fighting, ripping, clawing, killing, and scattering the man in front of him into gory pieces. Naruto didn't question where the thoughts came from, but his last few strands of sensibility clung to hope.

'_If I can keep him busy long enough for any of the proctors to sense this, then this will all be over. So I just need to survive.'_

His headlong charge at the man would make one question his thoughts on survival. Rushing a Sannin headlong was not a good idea, much less a good idea for a gennin, but Naruto wasn't in a state to think of much else. Chakra scalpels flared to life around his hands, extended farther than normal and running wild compared to his normal tight control. He had little time to think of it as he split an oncoming snake in his headlong charge.

Orochimaru seemed unperturbed by his summon's demise and merely sent more out in a nest of slithering and hissing reptiles. Naruto weaved through them still, slashing and shredding the soft flesh easily in his dash. He was within striking range in a brief moment and lashed out, pouring more chakra into his scalpels to extend them in a sudden move to surprise the legendary shinobi. It didn't work.

The man showed an alarmingly inhuman display of flexibility in avoiding Naruto's barrage, appearing almost boneless in some of his movements. It was a testament of his genius that he'd taken on such an adaptation of his powerful summons, as well as a testament of his lack of humanity. Naruto took the man's still untouched form and the calculating eyes he was being observed with as personal injury. More anger began to flare up, along with louder instincts he tried to fight.

He summoned clones to assist him, trying to coral the snake man into an unavoidable touch. The smallest graze would be critical, possibly even fatal. But the Sannin wasn't harassed by the tactics, dispersing clones as easily as he danced around them. The man proved even more impressive as Naruto shouted out a barrage of **Mahi Hari** (Paralysis Acupuncture) that shredded the earth and yet the man was untouched by the wide spray.

Orochimaru had hardly been impressed at all by the boy's show of strength. It was obvious to him that the gennin was coming under his burden's influence. The fox's chakra had leaked from the seal and Orochimaru could see wisps of it flutter out from the boy's body. It seemed the boy didn't realize he'd tapped into the ancient power and wasn't trained to use it properly. It was doubtful that someone like Tsunade would or even could train him to harness the Bijuu's power.

Orochimaru had watched closely on how the Jinchuuriki had handled the Iwa gennin. The boy showed an impressive amount of foresight and planning. He dispatched the gennin easily enough without killing them, something that Orochimaru found as amusing as it was disheartening. Letting such low-class gennin limp back out of the forest would be a disgrace and would likely only build Iwagakure's anger at Naruto.

What was really interesting about the small fight was the supply of techniques that Naruto had used. It was unlike anything he'd seen Kabuto do in combat. Kabuto used general ninja skills, then restored himself to perfect condition when hurt. The brat had created his own techniques using medical chakra and skills as his basis. And it was apparent to the Sannin that the boy had been holding back with those techniques. Looking at the blonde Chunin hopeful now, there was hardly a similarity in skills. The Kyuubi's excess chakra was completely disrupting and control Naruto had, making him rely on innate fury than shinobi skills.

That would mean that this was just shadowing what Naruto could really do. It seemed that playing his game with the boy had brought out raw emotions and it was ruining any semblance of form or skill the gennin had. He was all but a savage, wild and raging with his still deadly chakra scalpels. He was fighting the bijuu's influence, but that was even worse. His concentration so shot, it was doubtful that the scalpels would even hold up much longer. It was time to end this game before any Anbu detected the fair amount of the Kyuubi's chakra.

Naruto wanted to clutch his head as more blood seemed to surge between his ears. All he could hear was the faint thumping of his heart and the desires in his head to kill. It was overbearing, drawing so much of his attention that he almost missed the Sannin slip into a blindingly fast dash that closed the distance between the two instantly. Naruto found himself wrapped in snakes, so ensnared he couldn't move at all. The snakes coiled around him, entangling his legs and arms and leaving his face and chest exposed to the missing-nin.

The last bit of restraint slipped away as more chakra began to escape his pores, becoming more and more heavy in the air. Orochimaru laughed at the boy's struggle, prompting another feral growl out of him as he kept trying to free himself. This growl was different from the first, giving off so much force that it kicked up a small gale, but the Sannin was undisturbed.

"I'm not sure how much of this you can here, Naruto, but I want you to remember this when you wake up. This power I'm giving you is only a taste of what's to come when you find your way to me."

Naruto was all but gone at this point, anger coursing through him much faster than blood as his wild thrashing continued. He spit more howls out, livid by his entrapment, but it was on deaf ears. The Kusanagi flashed once again and split the Chunin hopeful's shirt, exposing the large sealing formula tattooed into his skin. Orochimaru barely stopped to admire the handy work of the Yondaime. He despised the man and no sealing formula would ease the hate felt by Orochimaru. But the man was willing to put that aside enough to note the basics of the seal.

"**Hakke no Fuin Shiki**( Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) empowered by the Shinigami. Namikaze went all out on this, didn't he? Let's see what I can do to fix this."

Orochimaru prepared his **Gogyo Fuin**(Five Elements Seal) with his free hand, using the other one to keep the still struggling Naruto bound by snakes emerging from his sleeve. Once the fuinjutsu was prepared, he drove it into the boy's gut without a second thought. Effects were seen immediately. Small intricate markings formed over Naruto's seal, interlaced and disrupting the flow of chakra inside it. The heavy pressure of the Kyuubi's charka vanished and Naruto's more feral traits receded back into dormancy. His nails drew back and his eyes flickered back to their normal blue as they blinked wearily.

The blonde struggled to stay awake against the strain of sudden exhaustion. He felt as if someone had stripped out all of his energy, even his base chakra supplies. He was drained far beyond anything he could do to himself in training or worse than any fight he'd ever had before. Only his terror at his fate in the hands of a madman like Orochimaru and his refusal to let everything fade to black kept him awake.

"You're still conscious? Impressive. It seems you inherited the Uzumaki's famous stamina and strength, as well as their stubbornness. Very well. You'll be awake to see my gift firsthand. Watch carefully."

Naruto had little choice, too tired to resist any treatment he received from the Sannin. His eyes were wide and his mouth gaped, a hundred pleas or cries of anger ready to spill out. But he was just so tired. His body was limp to all commands and he could only stare in horror at what was happening.

Orochimaru stretched his neck out into a large serpentine form, weaving it back a forth a few times before plunging forward and biting into Naruto directly in the center of his sternum just above his still apparent seal. The man must've unhinged his jaw in the bite, but Naruto was too weak to even complain, barely whimpering at the burning pain now spreading out into his body like a cancer. Orochimaru drew his head back, observing his work again.

On the spot of his bite, another seal was forming, this one much more personal to the Sannin than the first one he applied. Unlike Sasuke's, this was the **Chi no Juin **(Curse Mark of Earth). Orochimaru hadn't branded another person with it since Kimimaro. It was an untestable theory that it had been that mark and its power that had developed into the sickening disease that had all but ruined his future prospect in the last of the Kaguya. It was a shame, but Naruto would be a different story. The Uzumaki were famous for their healing factors and resilience and it would be doubly so for a Jinchuuriki. It would be interesting just to see how the seal fared or even merged with the **Hakke no Fuin Shiki**. He'd never marked a Jinchuuriki before.

Having completed his self given mission, Orochimaru tossed the gennin into the air. Naruto was unconscious before he even hit the ground. Smirking to himself, the man couldn't help but wonder what would become of Naruto due to the seal. There was no doubt in his mind that the **Gogyo Fuin** would be noticed and removed. Not before he had time to see Naruto take place in preset preliminary matches against the other gennin that passed this exam, but it would still be removed. The Curse Mark was something beyond removal and nothing short of Orochimaru releasing it himself would spare Naruto of the mark.

Konoha would likely seal it off, maybe even Jiraiya himself, but it wouldn't matter. Naruto would still have that power at his fingertips, fighting to get out alongside those dark thoughts deeper in his mind. It would always be there to tempt Naruto whenever Konoha showed its true colors to the boy, that the village was just using and manipulating him and that there was no love or kinship there. It was all empty words. The Will of Fire was a hoax to keep the masses in line and loyal without any fear or abuse.

Orochimaru didn't have any more time for reflections, feeling a familiar presence coming closer and closer, homing in on him like a beacon. Rather than let Anko become aware of his work, the Sannin vanished from the clearing, drawing the revenge-driven woman after him like a moth chasing the very flames that would burn it up.

* * *

Tsunade sneezed, looking up from her early morning drink and out into the small restaurant that she and Shizune had sequestered themselves into. The shop owner was considerate enough to tuck them away in the most reserved booth she had, leaving the two in peace to enjoy their small time of relaxation.

"Bless you, Tsunade-sama. Are you feeling alright? I'm sure you must be tired from all of the work you've been doing. I'm tired and all I've been doing is bringing it to you!" Shizune joked, smiling lightly at her teacher.

Tsunade's eyes flickered to the woman, deep in thought and apparently oblivious to the question she'd been asked, asking one of her own saying "Is it cold in here to you, Shizune? I've had this chill ever since we left the tower and I can't seem to shake it. Even this tea hasn't helped any."

Shizune's eyes narrowed some in concern as she answered "No, I'm perfectly fine in here. In fact, my tea has me nearly sweating over here. Maybe you just need to go outside and enjoy the sun some to feel better?" The suggestion was followed by a pause then continued much more excitedly "Why don't we try the hot springs! I've been dying to go since we returned and that would be the perfect cure for your chills. I bet it's not even that crowded this early in the morning."

Such enthusiasm was a surprise to Tsunade, but she didn't mind. Shizune had worked hard lately to keep Tsunade's work in line and her affairs straight. And the woman was likely right that a trip to the hot springs would help to dispel this dark feeling coating her. The blonde nodded her head in confirmation, finishing off the last of her tea before leaving a few bills to cover the drinks. Shizune followed quickly after and the two slipped out into the busy streets of Konoha.

Rather than use the rooftops for a much quicker trip, the two stayed on the streets. Tsunade soaked in the hustle and bustle of Konoha merchants and civilians, traveling to and fro shopping and bartering away. It was an uplifting feeling she got watching them, free and safe to do such a thing. And before long it would be because of her and her own work. In fact…

"I signed the tax reformation on the garden crops just yesterday. Now that shop keeper can't keep enough in his bin to sell." Tsunade noted to Shizune, who just beamed at the statement. All of their work hadn't been for nothing. It wasn't just lost in the political machine buried in Konoha. It had an effect on the people even if it was only for such a small thing as garden vegetables that were in season.

The two continued towards the springs rested towards the outer limits of the village. Trees lined the pathways in a perfect expression of the village's fondness of nature. Tsunade felt the shift in warmth and moisture in the air as they neared the springs and already began to feel better. Slipping into the small building that housed the women's locker room, the pair quickly undressed and grabbed several towels to wrap themselves in. Like Shizune had suspected, no one else was there when they slipped into the spring.

A sigh of contentedness escaped both women as they entered the warm water. Revitalization seemed to seep into their bones and soak under their skin and they both slinked further and further into the water. Shoulders deep, the two shinobi let their eyes close and their minds to wander, free of all stress and worry, not a care in the world.

"Well what do you know…" A voice shattered the mind-numbing bliss in one instant. The warm baritone voice continued, an evident mirth building up in thinly veiled containment, "Imagine meeting you two here. The office must be working you two to the bone. I came here to relax as well, but for different reasons."

Shizune had all but screamed and darted out of the water, but Tsunade kept her senior apprentice from doing so with a firm grip on her slender shoulder. "Jiraiya!" Tsunade called out, voice still light but mood much more serious. "Remember the last time I caught you peeping on me at the hot springs? Or did I rattle your brain too hard the last time we sparred?"

Across the spring, a shimmer of chakra collapsed and was swept away by the steam, ending Jiraiya's signature **Toton **(Transparent Escape) jutsu. As much as it was a marvel that the man could utilize such a technique while submerged in water and still remain hidden, Tsunade didn't care. He had all of 5 seconds to explain himself before she beat him within an inch of his life yet again.

Jiraiya actually seemed pretty pleased with himself in his corner of the hot spring. The smug smirk on his face never departed at the mention of his closest call with death. Tsunade didn't like that look at all, leveling the man with a glare. He didn't falter to those powerful eyes he loved so much.

"Do you know what today is, Tsunade? Or more importantly, the laws surrounding the hot springs on this particular day of the week? The Sandaime passed a law years ago setting aside one day for the public hot springs to allow mixed bathing to promote the general well fare of the community. Turns out that the old man hasn't been wasting his privileges under the hat after all."

Anger simmered beneath her skin, but Tsunade saw her fellow Sannin's point. He could be here and there wasn't much she could do about it. He wasn't spying on girls, he was just going to soak in the springs alongside them. The thought of him getting away with his lecherous act was what she was so angered by, but she didn't act. Instead, she just slipped lower down into the water to make sure that the man had nothing to see for a free show.

Her apprentice followed likewise and after a few terse moments, it seemed the serenity and calm of before crept back in. The two women ignored the sage and tried to enjoy themselves once again. But it wasn't to last as Jiraiya's voice came back as the man began to speak again, this time more serious on subject.

"I planned on taking Naruto out of the village for the month lapse in the exam. He's in need for some proper shaping up if he's gonna go toe to toe with some of this year's crop of gennin. I know you think he's cut out for a vest but I have my doubts. At the very least, I want to teach him how to draw out the Kyuubi's chakra for when the situation calls for it."

Shizune wasn't sure what it was that she felt enter the air, but for that moment of silence after Jiraiya had finished, pressure was in the air. Not Killing Intent, this was something more palpable and overbearing. Steam was still rolling up off of the water, but it didn't counter the chill that climbed over her bare skin.

"Absolutely not." was the calming chill that had entered the air. Shizune wasn't even sure that she'd heard it, but she certainly felt what Tsunade meant when she said it. Jiraiya had sensed that even Tsunade's anger at his early show of perversion had shifted, morphing into something much more prickling and hackled. This was the anger of a mother riling up against the danger to her kit.

"But Tsunade, even you can see the need for Naruto to spend some time under my tutelage. He needs this." The man had expected an argument over the danger Naruto would be placed in under Jiraiya's watch outside of the village and the possible Akatsuki threat. He was prepared to give his word on whatever Tsunade asked for that he would watch over and protect Naruto with his life, something he was already willing to do. His godson was important to him. The boy needed to be worked and Jiraiya needed to be there for him, even if was just to toughen him up into a ninja that could weather the world as well as or even better than Jiraiya himself.

"He doesn't need a single thing that you cold teach him that I couldn't. And he especially doesn't need that monster coming out in him. Naruto will never need that beast's chakra more than he'll need what I've still got to teach him. You won't be taking him."

Jiraiya's eyes dipped, dropping from his fellow Sannin's, past the water where the rest of her was hidden, to himself. Irrational is what he'd like to call her, but the woman was beyond that. She was willing to physically stop him from taking Naruto anywhere. While he wasn't above spiriting the boy out of the village, he knew Tsunade would track him down and crack his skull open. So he was left with his only real bargaining chip left.

"The old man has already signed off on it. The council too. They'd been vying for me to take on the Sandaime's grandson for years, but with your return, Sarutobi is going to take the time to pass down onto his grandson on how to be a shinobi personally. That frees up my time to personally take care of Naruto and make sure he's ready for the other homicidal jinchuuriki that will be looking to tear him apart. Nothing you could give him by conventional means would have him ready for Gaara in a month. That brat's never left a survivor whenever he's been out on missions and is as blood-thirsty as the demon he holds. I respect his apprenticeship under you, but you aren't gonna kill my godson because you won't let me give him the power to win."

"He doesn't need that monster to win! I don't want him drawing on all of that hate and anger. He'll be killed using that sort of power and I won't allow it. He starts drawing on that chakra and he'll be a real jinchuuriki then. What'll the village think of him then? I'm not gullible enough to believe everyone will be fine with Naruto using the same Kyuubi that nearly destroyed this village as his power source. It'll corrupt him with all of it's hate, make him cold or crazy. You won't be giving Naruto that power at that cost. I don't care what the Sandaime said. No one is going to make MY Naruto into just another weapon fueled by an infinite source of evil and hate."

Jiraiya didn't have the words to settle the qualm of drawing on the strongest of the Bijuu, but he settled on the fact he didn't need them. He had something else.

"Naruto was made a jinchuuriki for a reason by people who were there for him and have more stake in him than you and me. You can't change that. He can't just ignore what he was born to be, no matter how ugly it is. Instead, he has to face it and come out the better for it, just like what Minato and Kushina expected of him when they gave their lives for him. Jinchuuriki don't have to become weapons, hated and full of hate. I'd never let Naruto turn into something like that and you wouldn't either. Gaara is the perfect example of what Naruto won't be, because unlike Gaara, he'd have us and the rest of the village to fall back on. And as a ninja of Konoha, he's expected to be the most he can be for this village and it's service."

"Have more stake in him? They had him in their arms an hour! How could that compare to the years I've had watching him grow? I'm not risking him losing his mind to that monster. Minato was stuck in a horrible situation but I'm not letting his curse on Naruto turn him away from me. Naruto will never have anything to do with the beast if I have any say in the matter. It's not worth the risk."

"What happens when he gets pushed to the edge and he turns to the Kyuubi on his own? When he's neck deep in enemy territory and doesn't have anyone else to turn to but the beast? If you let him do that out there, when I can't do a single damn thing to monitor the seal, you've got a disaster on your hands! He'll draw too much chakra and go wild, maybe even crack the seal wide open. And then everything his parents sacrificed themselves for and every minute you spent caring for him is all worthless. And you can't say to yourself that it won't happen. Not with Akatsuki out there."

"I can say that. I'm the Hokage and he won't go anywhere unless I give the word. I don't care if I have to keep him under Anbu's watch for the rest of his life. I have the power to protect him and I'll use it at whatever costs. He's the village's most valuable asset and he won't be squandered by making him into another weapon of war. You WON'T interfere with that."

Jiraiya's voice tightened as the steam seemed to thicken, blocking the two's view of each other with it's density. By the time it let up, the man himself was gone without a trace, his voice echoing behind him "We'll play it your way, Tsunade. And I pray you aren't killing your son trying to save him from his demons."

* * *

Pain. It was what he woke up to. Pain. It was what he entered into. Pain. It wasn't even his. It was just there, permeating the air. He had to follow it, find it. End it. This wasn't right.

Naruto woke up, surround in surreal white. More than he'd ever seen before, more untainted. He couldn't look directly at it, just at himself as he felt he'd go blind gazing for much longer. Aware of himself, he tried to find some sense of what was happening. The forest was gone, the exam discarded as unimportant. His family and entire life was put aside to the one questioning thought.

'_Where am I?'_

The whiteness ran out suddenly, leaving behind a much bleaker, tainted pale on the walls. Doors lined the hallway that had shaped in front of him, marked with numbers and labeled with wards. Naruto tried to read one of them, but try as he might, the writing was indistinguishable to him. He tried the door, but found it locked and not budging. Giving up, Naruto faced the hallway before checking behind him. It stretched endlessly behind, with the sound of silence echoing down its length.

Ahead he felt it. That pain. It was something drawing him in, to mend and make whole again. He was here, wherever here was, to stop this pain. He had to, above all else and before all else. So he moved. He carried himself down the hall, following it's turns indiscriminately as it led him through a maze of white doors and whit walls. The closer he got to the pain, the more apparent it became. The sounds he began to recognize as the inner workings of a hospital came to him. Coughing, wheezing, hacking, monitor flat lines, screaming, crying, wails of pain and hurt all echoed out behind the white doors. None of them budged open.

Blood soon began appearing, specks on the wall and filling the air with it's odor. Then came the splotches of it, splattered over the tile floor. Naruto couldn't do any more than just keep going, seeking out that pain he felt, hoping that ending this pain would make things right again. It had to.

The hallway finally opened up, revealing yet another dull white room, only this one much bigger, in scale with the Hokage Monument in height and depth. The roof was glass, but what was on the other side of that glass was unclear to Naruto. The room itself was occupied by nothing more than an expanse of emptiness marred by a man and a cage. The cage was huge, nearly filling the room entirely with its expanse. Naruto couldn't see the contents inside, blocked by a think black that stopped his gaze. But he already knew what was there. The pain.

Naruto was drawn to it, ignoring the man and ignoring every feeling of warning at danger whispering in his ears. Steadily his pace grew till he was in a full sprint to the cage. It was there. He found it. He could stop it now, cut off this pain that was so real here. Everything he'd passed before, every wrong he'd witnessed in the halls, could be solved here. He could cure it.

Then, the darkness broke to mass. Pain spilled out from behind the bars, followed by rage, hate, malice. A single claw, more massive than anything he could've conceived without seeing it himself, drove towards him, its intentions clear. Spread the pain. Add to the suffering. Create death and misery. Everything Naruto was trained to stop with his art of medicine.

He faltered. The pain was so great, fueled by an unreal capacity of hate. He stumbled in his sprint, now completely unable to save himself from what was heading his way. He couldn't stop it. His eyes took on the full form of the great Kyuubi no Kitsune, power beyond mortal measure and rage beyond comparison. The beast's eyes said it all, the fear it wrought, the destruction it craved. But beyond all that, hid such a pain that it dug into Naruto himself, his heart panging in sorrow.

It was unexpected, but that moment of connection between the beast and its jailor bonded the two. And Naruto only wanted in that moment to end the beast's pain.

Yellow filled his sight, but Naruto wouldn't tear his eyes from the Kyuubi's until he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Shifting his head, he caught sight of the culprit. The man he never planned to see was here too, in this place of pain. He didn't know why. He didn't know how. He thought that the dead couldn't feel anymore pain, so could a dead man be in this place?

He didn't ask, his words caught in his throat as too much tried to escape at once. The man that stood above him, stepped back and smiled and Naruto couldn't help but admire than man. He was tall, full of strength that radiated off of him just as much as pride did. His spiky blonde locks that framed his face made Naruto remember his mother's insistence he kept his short lest he draw in girls. His eyes were full, blue and sincere as they told Naruto that this man was real. The small smile on his face flickered in a wince of pain that dawned on him where the claw of pain before had gone.

The Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze was standing in front of his son, smiling and proud after being run through by the Kyuubi. The tip of the claw had slipped through the man entirely and the legendary man shuddered as it was tore out of him and retreated back to the dark confines of the cage.

Not a word was said as the man stood there, looking over the young man in front of him he'd seen so many years ago as an innocent babe. Then Naruto saw a shift on his face. Pain had spread. A cough shattered the silence between the two, blood slipping out of the man's mouth and dribbling down his chin. A frown slipped into place as the man collapsed to one knee, his injury making him unable to stand and bear the pain any more.

Naruto stood in shock, watching as the man's blood seemed to pour out now, spilling all over the tile beneath and spreading towards him. The man's face twisted up, his pain now alive in his features and he croaked "I need a doctor."

* * *

Alright alright. I think a few of you saw Naruto being marked coming. But I'd like to imagine that this ending is a bit original. Minato is here and yes, this is the seal's defense mechanism that he built in. What's going on in the seal right now is something I've only seen done once, but I think I'll do it justice. It'll be the focus of next chapter and I might squeeze in Naruto making it to the tower to tie up the Second Exam. I thought this has gone pretty well. I'm confident enough of doing a character like Orochimaru justice in his script and actions, so this is a tremendous success in my books.

Tsunade's reaction was as motherly as I could make it without seeming unreasonable. She does have to prioritize the village first, but keeping Naruto safe or making him strong enough to protect himself are two different and very important responsibilities. Both as mother and as Hokage. Let me know what you think about the chapter in a review or PM. As always, BigWillis, out!


	8. The Way I Am

AN: Hello guys. How's it going? You guys doing ok? I guess a few of you are celebrating your well earned vacation from school and college now that the semester is over. Whipee! But for the brave few who can't celebrate because they have careers occupying their time, I understand. My job just recently took a chunk of my wrist via barbwire. I have 4 staples and a very itchy wrap right now. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Would anyone really believe me if I said I did? Chapter Title comes from Eminem off of the Marshall Mathers LP. Old stuff, good listening.

Chapter 8

The Way I Am

Naruto had a lot to take in. Of course he responded to the Yondaime's call for help, dropping down on one knee, hands blazing a bright green on either side of the puncture wound. It healed over and closed miraculously fast, so fast that Naruto wondered aloud what was going on.

"We're in your mind, Naruto. This is all just your inner mindscape and the cage is a representation of the seal. Since it's your mind, anything you want to happen here will happen." The Yondaime stated, before rubbing the bridge of his nose sheepishly and adding "Or at least, that's my theory. But a thank you is in order, regardless. You've saved me and given me more time to tell you what you need to hear, which means the world to me."

Naruto just nodded, his eyes still taking in every detail of the man. It was hard to imagine, let alone see with his very eyes. The Yondaime, the greatest shinobi Konoha had ever produced and arguably the greatest of his time. He was now standing right in front of Naruto, towering over him by a full foot in height, smiling down at him.

"Wha- What are you doing here?" Naruto blurted out, his lips moving before he'd even realized he'd asked a question. None of this was making sense. Answers were needed.

Minato realized as much and decided to begin. He wasn't sure how much time he would be allotted, so it's be best to tell his son as much as he could while he could.

"Naruto, as much as it pains me to have to admit this, I'm not really here. At the time of the sealing, Kushina and I sealed what remained of our chakra into the seal for separate purposes. I was to safeguard the seal, in case it ever began to weaken or was undone. Your mother's was to assist you later on, when the time came for you to fully control the Kyuubi's chakra."

Naruto took every word in, focused intently on his father. Or rather, this apparition of his father bound to the seal. But several things stuck out to him. "Something's wrong with the seal? Is the Kyuubi breaking free? And is there a way to see Kushina now? I want to meet her, if I can."

Minato shook his head sorrowfully, regret etched into his face as he answered. "I'm sorry. This is only a one time thing. After I fix the seal, my leftover chakra will be filtered out by the seal and destroyed. You'll only have this one time to see us, son. As for the seal, no, nothing is malfunctioning. The Kyuubi is still firmly in place and his chakra has been filtering into your system accordingly. But something external has infected the seal, causing the failsafe to spring."

Naruto's face turned ashen, thinking to his last few conscious moments before he awoke in his mind. Orochimaru had marked him with his forbidden fuinjutsu. "It's the Curse Mark, isn't it? I couldn't get away. I never had a chance. He knew exactly what I was doing and was just toying with me the entire time. I'm sorry. If I would've been better, I could've gotten away and the failsafe wouldn't of been wasted on this."

Rather than be disappointed in his son, Minato simply placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder to reassure him. "Naruto, you're an exceptional shinobi, even now. There's no way that someone your age could be expected to take on Orochimaru. But never doubt yourself. You did the best you could."

Naruto looked up, face bright at the words of encouragement from his father. He even laughed a bit when Minato ruffled his hair some, before the man began to speak again.

"It's true about what you said. The **Chi no Juin** (Curse Mark of Earth) has infected the **Shiki Fuin** that I placed on you. I doubt Orochimaru himself intended for this to happen, as it has rendered his mark all but useless to him."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. Naruto didn't even know what the Curse Mark would do to him, but he knew that it would be nasty. Orochimaru was notorious for his acts on inhumanity after all, and his techniques surely reflected that. If the mark was useless, then that would be miraculous in Naruto's eyes.

Minato reflected on how to explain it to Naruto, as he wouldn't understand the technical terms used to explain it properly. So instead, he put it in layman's terms. "Orochimaru applied the **Gogyo Fuin**(Five Elements Seal) to you just before he applied the curse mark. The **Gogyo Fuin** was to disrupt the **Shiki Fuin** and break the Kyuubi's chakra flow from it to you. It would also ruin your chakra control, making nearly every technique available to you useless. I suppose he wanted to further test you and see how you would fare further on in the exams without any of your jutsu. But when he applied it and cut off your supply to the Kyuubi's chakra, it created a large backup of the Bijuu's chakra. This would be fine, as the build up would flow back to the Kyuubi for the beast to absorb. But when the **Chi no Juin** was added on right afterwards, it settled into the largest chakra source it could find."

The Kyuubi took that time to howl, rattling the entire room and informing the two blonde shinobi of its rage. It didn't attempt to attack again, just flaring its chakra in anger. Naruto looked at the beast behind the bars, noticing something as his mind came to same conclusion from what his father had said.

"The Kyuubi has the Curse Mark?"

It was pretty far-fetched. It didn't seem possible that a construct of chakra and an embodiment of hatred could have mere mortal fuinjutsu applied to it. Then again, it was mere mortal fuinjutsu that had the beast trapped in his mindscape in the first place. It wasn't inconceivable that the beast could have more of the sealing arts placed on it. But what did that even mean?

Minato seemed to pick up on Naruto's budding questions and began to explain. "The Curse Mark generates a corrupted and dark chakra, unlike anything else I've encountered before. It is more powerful than normal chakra, certainly, but it also drains the user at an alarming rate. Anyone without exceptional chakra reserves would find themselves hard pressed to use the seal for long periods of time. What exactly it is about this tainted chakra that Orochimaru finds interesting, I can't say. I'd have to see the seal in use for me to determine that much, but with the costs the seal has, it wouldn't be worth it. I'd tell you to avoid using it, but thanks to the Kyuubi and an untimely intervention of its chakra, you can't use it."

Naruto's eyes slipped past Minato's, to the inky blackness inside of the cage, where he knew the Kyuubi was lurking, angry and in pain still. He connected back with his father, questioning "What's the seal doing to the Kyuubi? It's hurt, suffering even, because of that Curse Mark. Can we fix it?"

Minato's eyes brightened, before his smile broadened even further. "You're so much like your mother, Naruto. She never did like seeing anyone suffer, even the people that used to pick on her as a child. It's a great thing to have such a big heart, Naruto. Protect it and don't let it grow cold, okay? As for the Kyuubi… well, that's another matter. The Fox is an entity of rage and hatred, which is what fuels the Curse Mark from what I can tell. The seal won't cut off, which would mean that the Kyuubi is constantly being powered by the Curse Mark and that tainted chakra is being produced. The downside to this is that the tainted chakra seems to be the exact opposite of its demonic chakra. They don't mix, at all, and yet the beast is forced to have it flow through him. He can't expel any of it from his system either, thanks to the **Gogyo Fuin**."

"So the Kyuubi bit the bullet for me? It's suffering in my place right now." Naruto once again peered into the cage, but this time saw the glowing red eyes staring back out at him. "Break the **Gogyo Fuin**."

Minato's smile faltered some. "Now hold on a minute there. The **Gogyo Fuin** is what's keeping the Curse Mark out of your system. If I broke that seal, then the Curse Mark would be flushed out by the Kyuubi and then you'd be burdened with it. The seal would do exactly what Orochimaru wanted and you would have to fight its influence off until it was sealed off or removed."

"Well just seal it off whenever you break the **Gogyo Fuin**. We can't just leave the Fox like this." Naruto pressed, looking firmly into the same deep blue eyes he was often complemented on. His father's weren't as firm, wavering as veiled emotions flickered across the blue. A sigh escaped the man's lips as he finally conceded, saying "I'll break the seal if you want me to. But it'll use up the last of the chakra I have stored in this seal. I won't be able to seal off the Curse Mark. You'll have to fight off its influence until Jiraiya or Kakashi can suppress it. But Naruto, if you ever gave into that seal, even just once, it could…change you. This tainted chakra does more than bolster the user's power. It also corrupts the mind. Can you really live like that? You've been burdened enough as it is."

"I would rather live with this than let anyone else suffer from it. I'm tough enough to live with the consequences. It's my duty as a medic to do all that I can to ease pain and suffering of my allies and those in need. The Kyuubi might be a monster but I'm stuck living with him. He's part of me. That means I have to take care of him. And besides, if anyone can handle having another dangerous seal placed on them, it'd be the Yondaime Hokage's son. I can do this."

Minato's face turned to a pained smile. "I'm sorry for all I've put you through, Naruto. You've got so much placed on your shoulders and so much ahead of you. The night of the Kyuubi attack, I never dreamed of something like the Akatsuki being formed. If there would've been any other way to keep the village safe and the Kyuubi out of enemy hands, I would've gladly chosen it. But I see know that you've grown strong from this all. I have Tsunade to thank for that, I guess."

It was Naruto's turn to look pained. It wasn't clear to him how much Minato knew, but it was clear that the man knew enough. A sudden heavy guilt settled on his heart, prompting him to blurt "I'm sorry. I am proud to be your son. I chose her surname because she means so much to me and she's done so much for me. I never thought that-" Naruto was cut off by a hand.

"That you'd see your old man in person?" Minato laughed, before ruffling his son's spiky blonde hair again. "I understand. I was an orphan myself. To have a family take you in, it's beyond words. If Jiraiya would've offered, I'd have dropped my last name in a heartbeat. You should not regret being apart of Tsunade's family. Be proud. Your mother and I still love you, regardless. And we'll always be proud of you no matter what you're called, Naruto."

A sudden flickering of his presence gave Minato pause, a frown worming onto his face. "It seems my time is running short, Naruto. If we're going to break the **Gogyo Fuin**, it needs to be now."

Naruto nodded, fighting off any complaints. Complaining about too little time would just waste more. At his father's prompting, he lifted his shirt and watched as his father gathered chakra along his fingertips, looking like as if blue fire had erupted from them. He locked eyes with his father one last time, finding them solid in concentration. But there was pride there, also. Not in his handy work, or in the fuinjutsu, but in the person before him. Minato couldn't of been prouder of his son.

As he palmed his son's gut, calling out "**Gogyo Kaiin** (Five Elements Unseal)!", Minato couldn't stop the painful smile on his face from growing, nor the pain in his chest to cease. Naruto collapsed where he stood, his chakra system thrown into turmoil as it tried to rewire itself. A flash of red filled the mindscape, a cue that the Kyuubi had flared its near omnipotent chakra. The beast was freed from the mark's influence now and undoubtedly the mark would settle on his son, but that was his choice.

Feeling the draining the technique had on his presence in his son's mind, Minato rushed out his last words. His last gift to leave to his son. Dropping down to a knee and putting his hand on his boy's brow, he uttered "Son, if you can hear me, I want you to cling to these last words that your old man gives you. I've made mistakes in my life, more enemies than I can count, and I have the shame of watching my wife die and my son left to a life without his parents there for him. But all of that would be a worthy sacrifice so long as you and Konoha live. I wouldn't take back a single moment of being trapped in the Shinigami's stomach for eternity so long as you and Konoha are safe. I'm so proud to see you've grown up with the Will of Fire and such a strong will to protect and help others. I envy you, in a way. To be able to save lives instead of just end them, that is real power. It's something I wish I would've done more."

The man paused, unsure for a moment, but he continued onwards as he grew weaker and weaker. "This isn't about my regrets or lamentations though. This is my final request, my one last urging for you as my son and true successor. When you grow in strength and power, and you undoubtedly will, remember what you've done this for. You aren't going to win at this life without having something to fight for and to come home to. Fight for Konoha, your home. Fight for your friends, who'll do the same for you. Fight for your family, who'll take care of you in good and bad times. And fight for peace, in your life and for the people around you. Nothing else will give you the true strength needed to persevere in life. Do this for me, son, and you'll have made the world that much a greater place."

Naruto could faintly hear those words, as his mind was in a haze and his body unresponsive to any commands he gave it. He wanted to open his eyes, to get up, to hug his father one last time, and to say that he would do exactly what the man asked. But he couldn't. He felt the hand on his brow fade away, the pressure disappearing away from him. His father was gone.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he lay there, immobile and unresponsive. He wasn't able to speak, move, or see anything. He was stuck inside his own mind, to think. His father's words bounced around in his head for a long while, reverberating and sinking into his memory. He mulled them over and over, chewing on each word and what they meant. And then he thought of the things he could've asked the man. With so little time to really talk, it seemed useless to think on the 'could-of' scenarios. But Naruto was stuck in his own head with nothing to do but think. Until he could get up or find his way back to consciousness, his mind was going to torment him with regrets on what he should've done, what he should've said.

In the end, he settled on the wishful thought that he still had his mother's presence to look forward to. The thought reminded him of yet another looming challenge he had ahead of him in defeating the Kyuubi in order to obtain control over all of its chakra. The idea itself seemed impossible, implausible even. The Kyuubi was the single most powerful entity known to man and he was supposed to beat it? What were his parents thinking? Regardless of it being impossible or not, Naruto would still have to try. The beast wasn't impervious, as just shown by the Curse Mark. And if was sealed away in the first place, then that proved humans could beat a demon. Maybe not through direct force, but he would find a way to make the Kyuubi submit.

"**Human. Rise, boy, and come speak to me."**

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he was about to protest that he couldn't, but his body's sudden compliance to move proved that he, in fact, could. Naruto pushed himself up slowly and turned to check out the cage. Its confines were still bathed in an inky black, but every now and then, he'd see the flicker of movement telling him that the fox was still back there.

Walking forward at a slow and deliberate pace, Naruto couldn't help but envision what had happened the first time he'd approached the cage. There was no Yondaime to save him this time. While it would be nice of the Kyuubi not to attack him since Naruto had freed him from the Curse Mark, Naruto would be a fool to leave his guard down.

As he met a certain distance from the cage, two red eyes lit up behind the bar, leering down at him from high up, looking for intents and purpose like gates to hell and fire. A snarling face entered the light to match, revealing more of the Kyuubi behind the cage bars. It's eyes never broke off of Naruto, keeping its prey in clear sight, as if there was a place for him to hide from the beast.

"**I still desire to rip the flesh from your bones and devour you, rend this pathetic seal to shreds, and then rampage through your world to destroy everything you've ever known. Do not mistake the rest of this conversation as me subjugating myself to you or even desiring to help you, as I will never serve you and I have no desire to see your gain asides my own survival that is intertwined with yours."**

"**You are a weak human who's art is detestable before me. Your power is insignificant to mine and as my vessel you've chosen not to become powerful enough to destroy all that oppose you, but to mend the fragile and delicate bodies you mere mortals inhabit. You claim the Senju name, a name that belongs to the first mortal to bind and subdue me, yet you have no means to do so yourself. Out of principle, you are detestable before my sight."**

Naruto blinked several times, mentally reeling from the animosity he was feeling from the bijuu. This wasn't the fox's oppressive chakra or killing intent, this was the beast's true intentions and feelings.

"You don't have to like me, Kyuubi. I can't make you and there would be no point in trying. I don't need you to be my friend. But I would like to set up some sort of report with you since, as you mentioned, we survive together. And I'd also like to mention the seal that I just had removed from you at the cost of my father's last bit of chakra and that I'm now forced to bear myself. I want to work with you, or at least come to an agreement of some sorts."

"**You insignificant speck! It is because of you and your weakness that I was marked with yet another accursed seal. I'd sooner have the mark placed back on me than to suffer the indignity of aiding a human incapable of protecting himself from a worm like Orochimaru. My power is above such a hapless child. I will not work with you so long as you remain to weak to control my power. You will have to fight me for control, as if you would ever be capable of such a feat." **The Fox's anger was palpable and the twitching of his tails was a tell-tale sign of his rage.

Naruto glared upwards at the fox, stiffening his stance and refusing to back down from his suggestion. "Orochimaru came after me because of you! He was toying with me because he wanted to see the power of a jinchuuriki in action, then mark one with his brand. You're as much to blame for the seal as I am. And for such a weak human, how come I can withstand a seal that had you crying out like a whimpering babe? I'm capable of infinite more than you since I'm outside of this cage. I'm doing you the favor of trying to assist you since you are in such an undesired position. In return, I'd need some cooperation from you. What else do you have to do behind those cage bars?"

The fox growled, its tails whipping against the bars in anger. **"The moment I could extend an ounce of my power outside of these cage bars, I would crush you like an insect. You dare to insult me and act as if coercion can earn you my assistance. You are wrong to think that I am a being that can be talked into doing something as humiliating as helping mortals. I will not give you my power so long as you squander it. Healing other weak mortals is an embarrassment as a jinchuuriki and especially as my vessel. I am destruction incarnate. To use my power for anything other than slaughter of the grandest scale would be a waste. No amount of boredom would change my mind on this matter. Forsake your useless art of self-preservation and turn to me when you are ready for true power. Then I will give you my chakra and you will see what true strength is."**

"No amount of strength could overcome the power of saving a life. I'm a medic above all else, Kyuubi. That's just the way I am. I won't give up on that just to access your chakra. I'll draw it out another way if I have to, because you won't stop me from gaining every ounce of power I'll need to fend of the Akatsuki. I am not going to die having your furry ass ripped out of me and leaving me a dry husk on the floor. And do you really want to get sealed off into yet another container? If you worked with me we could avoid it."

"**At least with the Akatsuki, they would use my power for destruction. Why else would world-renowned criminals gather up the bijuu asides to utilize our power for annihilation? While it is detestable to have my power used by humans too feeble to control me, I'd rather be used by them than by a child insistent on curing mortals. It is pointless endeavor, prolonging human life. Humans live but a mere second compared to us bijuu and squirm about like bugs, accomplishing nothing in their short lifespan."**

"My father had the shortest reign of all the Hokage and yet he near single-handedly won a war and sealed away a bijuu into his son. He was hailed as the strongest shinobi to ever exist. And he never made it past 40 years of age. For just a drop in the bucket of time, he made a huge impact in the world. That's why all valuable life should be preserved when possible."

"**You humans and your foolish ideals. The Fourth Hokage accomplished nothing. He ended a war, but did he prevent all future wars? No. He may have sealed me away and prevented my rampage on your village, but I will not reside in a seal forever. Your life will end and I will be freed once more to destroy on a whim. Humans will never achieve anything that stands the test of time. No nation, village, clan line, or anything else of human prestige lasts forever. It all withers away in time. But not me and not my power. The earth will forever tremble under my paws as mountains rise and fall at my command. There is no life that can be preserved against my might."**

"Which is why I want to use it to protect people. Using your power would let me defeat the Akatsuki and keep everyone else out of harms way. Your chakra would still be used for destruction and I would still be saving lives by ending that group. Work with me here."

The Kyuubi's eyes blinked once at Naruto's plea. Naruto's fists clenched, frustrated at the beast's stubborn refusal to cooperate. He calmed himself and waited impassively for the fox to answer him.

"**You will have to prove yourself to me, brat. I will be watching your actions closely now. If you prove yourself strong enough to be a sustained vessel of my power, then I will grant you some of my chakra when you have need of it. But this is not a gift for you to flaunt or waste. My charka is destructive and should only be used for such. Now leave my presence. You have a forest of death to contend to."**

Naruto was nearly jumping for joy at the Kyuubi's proposal, finally making headway with the fox. But at the bijuu's last statement, he was confused. How was he supposed to leave? He knew he was in his own mind, but how was he supposed to wake up? Before he could ask, a blinding white erupted in his vision, blinding him.

Blinking his eyes a few times as they watered instinctively, Naruto was greeted to the sight of forest canopy overhead. Slowly, the sounds of forest life crept back into his ears, and he listened to the life around him. Birds chirped, tigers roared, and he could've sworn he heard girlish screams abruptly end off in the distance. Poor souls.

Despite his torso's protest, Naruto sat upright and continued taking in his surroundings. He was still in the same clearing that he had fought Orochimaru in. As amazing as it was that an animal didn't feast upon him while he was unconscious, Naruto was still in dire straights. He had no clue how much time had passed since he was knocked out, he wasn't sure of where the tower was based on his position, and he was starving.

To remedy this, Naruto dug inside one of his supply pouches and withdrew a small scroll. Unraveling it, Naruto channeled a small amount of chakra into the sealing formula that was inscribed on it. A flame of pain erupted from his core as a small cloud of smoke erupted from the scroll. Naruto ignored it to focus on the more important question of what had just happened.

Lifting up his shirt, Naruto's eyes bulged as he saw a chain of seals receding back towards the base mark of the **Chi no Juin**. 'Is the seal active already? I thought it fed off of negativity. Why is it acting up now?' Naruto wondered, his concern growing more and more, even as the seal returned to its normal state of the slim crescent moon markings at the center of his chest. His father hadn't said that the seal would act up so suddenly and Naruto hadn't expected it to be so painful either.

"**Brat, It seems as if you are in need of more answers regarding your condition. I will answer what I can, as I have a bargain of sorts for us to agree upon."**

'Kyuubi?' Naruto wondered, his head whipping from side to side. There was no way the fox had left the seal. He'd of sensed his powerful chakra instantly, assuming the beast didn't kill him before he'd woken up. But it still didn't make sense that he could hear the fox. Was the **Hakke Fuin** weakened? And just after his father's remaining chakra had been expended on the Curse Mark.

"**I'm still behind your father's seal, boy. Escaping it would certainly kill you, so that's something you'll never live to worry about. I'm speaking to you through the seal, as your father intended for us to converse in case a situation like this arouse and we were to cooperate. The man had impressive foresight."**

'So I can just speak to you through my mind? Well that certainly saves the trouble of going back into the seal, as I don't know how. You said something about giving me some answers. What can you tell me about the Curse Mark right now?' Naruto internally questioned. It was a bizarre thought to think that the Kyuubi could listen in and have a mental conversation at any given time. It'd certainly take some getting use to.

"**Yes. I'm aware that the Curse Mark has indeed settled onto your coils and is no longer hindering my chakra. This is exactly what your father predicted when he removed the **Gogyo Fuin**. Unfortunately for you, he did not know of what would happen when the seal settled onto you. The seal does in fact feed on negative emotion and won't act until it feels it. You would have to remain in constant control of your emotions and keep your negative ones reigned in tightly to prevent the seal from awakening and tainting your system with its corrupted chakra."**

'We already knew that when we broke the **Gogyo Fuin**. That doesn't explain why the seal flared up when I channeled my chakra. I wasn't feeling angry at the time, so what caused the Curse Mark to activate?'

"**The seal activated because of me."** The Kyuubi started, pausing for a moment before driving in with more information. **"The **Hakke Fuin** is designed to slowly intermingle my chakra with your own to not only bolster your reserves to incredible strength and potency, but to prepare your frail human body for when it received larger, purer amounts of my chakra. My chakra has been intermingling with your own since the hour you were born. The results have been shown everywhere. Your inhuman healing rate has not been because of your healing arts. It is my power. Your stamina, endurance, durability, physical strength, and reflexes have all been enhanced over time by my chakra beyond what normal shinobi can compare to."**

Naruto soaked that in, easily understanding the boons that came with being a jinchuuriki. It was a natural supplement to his physical state even outside of the tremendous power that lay inside the seal. 'That's all well and good, but how is that affecting the Curse Mark?'

"**The mixture of my chakra with yours is small."** The Kyuubi continued. **"Normally, the seal draws and mixes my chakra with yours in a ratio of 1 to 100. Despite such small amounts, the mixture it creates with your chakra still holds traits of my pure chakra. One of these traits happens to be anger, which is why you drew on my power instinctively when you were angered by Orochimaru. Your chakra has enough of my anger in it to trigger the Curse Mark."**

Naruto blinked several times as he took that news in. It was unfair, really. Jailing the Kyuubi cost him so much as it was, and now even the benefits of holding the beast were turned against him. There had to be something that could be done about it. And the Kyuubi wouldn't of said all of this if he didn't have something in mind already.

'What is your plan, Fox? You have some way of dealing with this, right? Something I'll have to pay for, I assume.'

"**Of course. I would not have wasted my breath otherwise. What I have in mind is to simply withdraw my chakra from the **Hakke Fuin** entirely. When I withdraw my chakra, your own should lose my anger and allow you to use it without disrupting the Curse Mark. However, this will cost you in several ways. My chakra will no longer be fueling you, so you will have to rely on your own ability. Your stamina, endurance, healing factor, and reflexes will all diminish. This is the price you will have to pay for using your chakra until you have the damnable mark sealed off."**

'This wouldn't be permanent, would it? Could I ever draw on your chakra again after you drew your chakra back?' Naruto probed. Losing the Kyuubi's chakra forever was not an option. He couldn't afford to lose such a boon when he'd need it for the future. And what kind of jinchuuriki would he be to Konoha if he cut himself off from access to his bijuu? That wouldn't do at all.

"**No. After the seal is dealt with, I will restore my chakra flow into the **Hakke Fuin**. You have my word on that. So do you accept?"**

Naruto didn't know what to think. He knew that he would need his chakra for the rest of this exam just to stay alive. But how well could he trust the Kyuubi to willingly give chakra back to the **Hakke Fuin**? This was the same demon that had robbed him of his parents and nearly destroyed his village. The monster had clearly stated that it had no remorse and would gladly pick right up where its previous destruction had left off.

He had to have some sort of reassurance, but what more could he get from the fox? It had the upper hand on this deal. And the fox knew it, too. It was smug and assured that Naruto would take his deal, because Naruto needed his chakra to get out of this forest.

'Alright. So assuming I trusted you enough to let you draw your chakra back until I have this Curse Mark tended to, what could I expect in return? If I'm going to trust you to give me back the power I'm gonna need, some assurance asides your word is gonna be needed.'

Chuckling, dark and malevolent, filled his head for a moment, distracting Naruto. Could a fox even laugh? He wasn't sure, but that was what it sounded like.

"**Brat, if you tend to that accursed seal, I'll return my chakra into our seal and I'll even agree to make further deals down the road on how you use it. At this point there's nothing more I can offer you. Take it or leave it."**

'Fine.' Naruto grumbled internally. While he wanted something concrete, he knew the Kyuubi couldn't give him anything. There was no sense harassing him for something the fox didn't have. He'd just have to accept and hope it didn't come back to bite him. 'Is there anything needed for you to withdraw your chakra?'

"**Actually, yes. In order to pull my chakra out of the seal, your chakra is needed to replace it. In essence, your chakra will replace mine and be filtered through the seal instead. It won't harm you, but it will require you to build up a large amount of chakra and sustain it around the seal until I can withdraw my small portion."**

'But what about the Curse Mark? Won't it act up again? That hurt the last time I flared my chakra!' Naruto reminded.

"**Do you want to do this or not? There aren't any alternatives I can find, so unless you have another seal master equivalent to your father conveniently at hand, this will have to do. Now prepare yourself and build up your chakra around your core."**

Naruto silenced his complaints and did as he was told. He couldn't afford to bellyache. He'd do this, finish his exam, and find Kakashi or Jiraiya as quickly as possible. There wasn't any other real option.

Folding in his legs, Naruto centered himself and placed his hands in the ram sign. 'Alright, Kyuubi. Here we go!' Blue chakra flared to life around Naruto, clearly visible to the naked eye due to its intensity. A cloud of dirt and dust was kicked up by the chakra pouring out of Naruto, before he began to draw it back in and focus it around his stomach.

The Curse Mark activated, alighting a flame and spreading outwards from his chest. He saw the strange lines expand across his bare arms, running parallel to each other before contorting and overlapping. Where he couldn't see the lines go, he felt the flames that they brought with them. The pain of the mark spread across his body until his entire frame felt the burn of the cursed fuinjutsu.

'Hurry up Kyuubi!' Naruto snapped agitatedly inwards. While it wasn't like him to be impatient, the Curse Mark was fueling his negative response to the pain it brought on. Thus, he wasn't in a good mood and he lashed out the best he could to the only one around.

"**Brat, get a hold of yourself! If you're consumed by the Curse Mark, there is nothing I can do for you! That tainted chakra is poisonous to mine. So long as you are using that seal, I can't give you any chakra."**

The warning from the ancient being snapped Naruto out of his funk, who then calmed himself, breathing heavily to even out his temperament. Still he continued maintaining his high chakra pressure around the seal, feeling the toll of having to maintain such power constantly. Sweat drops formed on his brow a rolled down his face, further exhausting him until finally the Kyuubi called him off.

"**Enough, brat. I've removed all of my chakra. Let the seal do its job and your chakra shouldn't activate the Curse Mark any more."** With that, the fox became silent and withdrew himself back into his cage, observing Naruto from inside the seal.

Naruto fell flat on his back, panting in the morning air as he rested some. He had woke up tired and felt even more exhausted now. Rolling onto his side, he saw that his supply scroll was still where he left it, the contents sitting perfectly inside the array. Also, he saw three pairs of sandals standing at a distance.

Calmly, he sat back upright, despite his head swimming from the motion, plucking a single pill from the supplies, he placed it in his mouth and crushed it before swallowing the bitter taste. After examining his supplies, Naruto grabbed an already prepared syringe full of a purple liquid. Setting it aside, he sealed away the rest of the supplies and tucked the scroll back into one of his supply pouches.

Grabbing the syringe again, he looked it over before thumping it twice with his finger. The contents inside reacted accordingly, so Naruto rolled up his pants leg and aligned it with the main artery. A quick and practiced prick followed. Injecting the material, Naruto pulled the syringe out and tossed it to the side. He then stood upright, thankful that his vision did not waver, nor did his body buckle in the process.

Finally addressing the three, Naruto looked up to see the three gennin consisting of the Oto squad before him. Immediately, diagnostics sprang to mind. None of them were fresh, despite it appearing to be only morning. That means they had already fought once recently and hadn't fully recovered. One in particular seemed to be nursing both of his arms, the subtle shifts showing he was still in pain. Judging from the full movement each are had, Naruto concluded they had both been dislocated and been reset afterwards. Without proper examination, that would limit their functionality.

Dosu, the head of the squad, stepped forward. "You've been marked by Lord Orochimaru as well, haven't you? You and Sasuke both survived. We've been charged with the mission of killing you both. Sasuke was too well protected by other Leaf gennin, but you're by yourself out here. No one will save you. I don't know why you were marked for death and I don't care. I'm just saying this so you can offer up a prayer to the heavens before we send you to hell."

Naruto settled down into a formal taijutsu stance, flickering his chakra for a moment. He hissed as the Curse Mark flared, but it subsided afterwards. He still haven't given the **Hakke Fuin** enough time. And now it looked like he didn't have any time to spare. When it rained, it poured, so they say. He would have to fight these three off until he could use his charka again.

Dosu and his two teammates saw Naruto's hiss of pain as an opening and charged in. Naruto met them headlong, ducking under Dosu's gauntlet punch and continuing past him, planting a mule kick into his spine to send the mummy teen stumbling forward. Naruto didn't stop to check his work as he spun around Zaku's slow attempt to stab him with a kunai, lashing out in a debilitating backhanded chop to the injured boy's neck, dropping him momentarily.

Kin had stayed back, as she was more of an assisting squad mate than a direct fighter. But seeing her teammates so handily bypassed by the blonde gennin, she rushed forward herself, armed with a handful of senbon placed between each finger. She used them as claws, slashing out in a wide strike. Naruto merely swiped out with his own hand and broke her senbon like twigs in her hand, leaving her shaken by his strength.

Naruto just smirked before delivering three hard chops to a wide open Kin, before following with a stiff palm thrust that doubled the girl over and left her sputtering.

"Zaku, now!" Dosu ordered, making Naruto whip around to see what was happening. Zaku had leveled his arms even with Naruto, his palms open and facing him. Naruto noticed the circular holes left by some sort of implant and could only fear what they were designed to do.

"Eat this! **Zankuha** (Decapitating Airwaves)!"

Naruto saw the buildup of chakra release in pressurized air, directed straight for him. A quick dive to the left would've saved him from the jutsu, but Naruto remembered the girl he had just struck down right behind him. Gritting his teeth in anger, Naruto realized what had happened. The girls teammates had used her as bait. She was to occupy him and hold him still until Zaku could aim his jutsu with his weak arms. They didn't care if she got hurt or not, so long as they hit him. And that made him angry.

The pressured blast of air hit, kicking up a huge cloud of dust that covered the area. Dosu and Zaku both waited for it to subside before either of them dropped their guard, having already been beaten once for underestimating Konoha shinobi. But when it settled, it showed that their plan had worked flawlessly. Naruto had been flung off his feet by the wind into a nearby tree, chipping the bark off of it with his body. Kin had protected from most of the wind by the human body shield of Naruto Uzumaki, but she had still ended up being flung headfirst into a rock, leaving her unconscious with a nasty gash bleeding on her forehead.

Her teammates ignored her, drawing in on Naruto to confirm the kill their mission and their lives depended on. Orochimaru wouldn't tolerate their failure with Sasuke, but maybe if they could kill Naruto, he would let them live. When they came close enough, they found Naruto still conscious after being blown away like a leaf in a storm by Zaku's attack. He was cradling his chest, obviously in pain from internal injuries after smashing into the sturdy tree. The blonde noticed their approach and slowly began to push his way up using the tree behind him for support.

"Why? Why would you attack me with an attack that would've killed your teammate if I dodged? You knew she couldn't of protected herself and you did it anyways. What kind of teammate are you?" Naruto hissed, not letting his pain affected his tone, but rather his disgust at the two Oto nin.

"Kin was useless to us anyways. She knew what the stakes were when she joined Orochimaru. She would either do as he asked, or she would die. And since she couldn't kill you or the Uchiha, she was supposed to die. Lord Orochimaru doesn't tolerate failure and would've killed her on the spot. We figured we'd do her the favor of sparing her his wrath and kill you at the same time. At least then her death would've meant something." Dosu calmly responded, his voice apathetic towards the possibility of death to his teammate. He truly didn't care, so long as Orochimaru's goal was accomplished and the man gave him more power.

Naruto's chakra spiked in anger, his disgust deepening at the answer he was given from the callous teen. It made him sick. To risk a comrade's life just for a mission goal was against Konoha's protocol and their belief in the Will of Fire. And as a medic, it especially bothered him that they would attack an injured target. Kin had no way to protect herself at that moment and certainly couldn't now. And these two would likely just up and leave her after they had killed Naruto.

"You two are scum. Lower than that even. At first I was just going to beat you because you worked for Orochimaru. But now I'm gonna make you pay!"

Naruto's chakra spiked again, flaring around him wildly as his Curse Mark spread. The air was filled with the malevolent pressure of the nasty chakra as Naruto's anger drove him fully to his feet. The pain in his chest was forgotten as the burning feeling his body felt spread like an adrenaline shot, loosening his body's stiffness up before tensing up for the sudden rush forward that left Dosu and Zaku baffled.

"Where'd he go? Did he have a Curse Mark? Why is Orochimaru having us fight all these damn Konoha brats once he marks them?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask him when he winds up in Hell with you." Stated a voice behind Zaku's back. Having been surprised once already, Zaku turned with his arms aimed to fire his signature jutsu again, only for Naruto to already be too close. The blonde medic began firing of rapid jabs with his finger tips, aiming for critical points in Zaku's body. Nerve clusters, joints, muscle tendons, whatever he could get a shot at to tear Zaku apart.

The ruthless barrage was cut short by Dosu interrupting with a swing of his gauntleted arm, which Naruto easily avoided and disengaged. He stumbled as he landed from his backpedaling and swayed on his feet, clutching his ears as his eyes locked onto Dosu. The lead Oto gennin was clearly pleased with himself at the results of his missed attack. He began to taunt "Now you feel the power of sound. Your equilibrium is shot and you can't even stand. You can't fight us as you are, Curse Mark or not. Now give up the ghost and die!"

With that, Dosu pulled out a kunai and charged. He neared the still unsteady Naruto, would didn't even look fit enough to attempt a dodge, and thrust out. But then something strange happened. Instead of driving the blade into Naruto's unguarded chest, Dosu stabbed nothing but air. His target had slipped beside him in a quick bit of footwork. Catching Dosu unaware, Naruto chopped down on Dosu's attacking arm, deadening the muscle temporarily before using his free hand to guide Dosu's fist that was still clenched around the kunai backwards into his own chest cavity.

Dosu blinked in surprise at his own knife being plunged into his chest, his wail of pain unable to escape him. Naruto pushed the blade in further with his own hand, whispering sinisterly "You thought I would fall for the same jutsu you used on Kabuto? A medic-nin has to be able to instantly diagnose an injury, so I knew what you had done to him before the first exam. You never had a chance of hurting me with the same technique." With that, Naruto shoved the dying body away from him, still eyeing it was disgust and even a bit of disappointment.

His body was still blazing from the Curse Mark that had fully spread across his skin. Naruto restored his own hearing in time to hear "**Zankukyokuha** (Extreme Decapitating Airwaves)!" The buildup of chakra was massive by a gennin's standards and a wave or air pressure destroyed the area, even leveling a few of the massive trees Konoha was famous for.

Zaku looked at the destruction his technique caused, grinning weakly at the damage. "Got him that time. Stupid tree-hugging bastard. Saved me the trouble of dealing with Dosu though. Now Orochimaru will give ME all of the power, since those two were so useless." Speaking of his teammates, Zaku couldn't spot Dosu's body anymore. It must've been rag dolled into the distance, or even out right destroyed by the huge pressurized blast. Oh well. He didn't like Dosu's gauntlet that much anyways.

"That tickled. Wanna try it again?" That voice. No way. Zaku slowly turned around, cursing his body and cursing the speaker as he spotted that blonde mop of spiky hair. The brat had survived?

"How? That was my strongest attack! No way you're fast enough to avoid it! That should've hit you flush and left you a bloody smear!"

"That was your strongest attack?" Naruto smirked as he provoked the exhausted gennin. "Well I guess that means it's time to end this. You can barely move, let alone fight and if you can't hit me with your best jutsu, then this is over. And I still wanted to try out some of this new power…" Naruto left off, looking down at the markings covering him.

"You're a sick freak! Orochimaru made you a monster with that Curse Mark! It'll kill you, one way or the other. No one's ever survived that seal for very long."

"This seal can't make me a monster." Naruto calmly replied, before disappearing from Zaku's sight with blistering speed. Before the boy could blink, Naruto was in front of him, arm cocked back for a single knife hand thrust to run him through. "Because I've already got one inside of me!"

Zaku just shuddered from the sudden heavy pressure the foul chakra had on him, barely noting a pinching feeling around his heart. He shuddered one last time, before slumping to the ground dead. Naruto kneeled beside him, wiping the boy's blood off his hand with the deceased Zaku's clothes. He felt tainted now, having such scum's blood on him.

The fight now over, Naruto felt pain rock his entire body, centered on the core of the Curse Mark seal. He shouted in pain and willed the seal to recede as it slowly erased itself from his skin. Naruto huffed in pain a few more times, his body still aching from what the seal had done to him. He plopped down on the ground, crawling over to a tree that he leaned his back against. He was exhausted.

"**You imbecile! Are you so weak that you would draw upon the seal to deal with such weaklings? I would've told you such if I didn't have to remove my influence whenever you use that cursed seal, lest it harm me again. That was a pathetic show of resolve from someone who had just sworn to impress me."**

"Shut up, Kyuubi! I didn't see you helping me any! I couldn't of fought them off without using any chakra. And they made me so angry, risking the girl's life for a shot at me, knowing she couldn't protect herself or get out of the way. They got what they deserved. I don't plan on using the seal at all as soon as my chakra is cleared of YOUR taint.' Naruto mentally shouted back at the beast. He was still angry, but he had to calm back down. He couldn't stand another flare from the Curse Mark as he was. He needed genuine rest.

"**Stupid brat. You really are useless. You'll have to become much stronger than this if you want to be a proper vessel of my power. This tainted chakra won't hurt you as badly as my power will. Rest now and recover what little energy you have in the first place. I will monitor our surroundings through the seal to make sure we aren't eaten. I am no beast's prey, and my vessel isn't either."**

Having calmed down enough to appreciate the action, Naruto mentally responded with 'Thank you, I guess. I'm too tired to summon Katsuyu so you're doing me a favor, even though you're trying to save your own self the embarrassment of being eaten.' The fox never responded and Naruto sensed the beast wouldn't, so he let his head droop and his mind drift off into slumber.

* * *

Arriving at the tower without another incident, Naruto looked upwards at the tall structure for a moment, before proceeding on in. He entered a chamber that seemed to be empty and blocked off on all other sides. There was no other doorways or halls connecting to the plain room. In fact there was nothing in there at all asides a large inscription on the wall. Reading it over, Naruto recognized the riddle immediately and pulled out his two prized scrolls. Opening them both up and tossing them away as they began to smoke, Naruto witnessed a huge cloud of smoke erupting as a figure emerged from it all. Shizune, to be exact.

She ran over to Naruto, scooping the shorter boy up into a hug. "You did it! I'm so proud of you! I just knew you'd make it through the exam, no problem. And you're not even scratched up or anything. Remarkable!"

Naruto just grinned a bit before returning the hug. Pulling back after a moment, he cheekily remarked "So do you get extra money for me coming in spotless? Anko told me about the whole betting pool thing. And here I thought you were against gambling, Nee-chan."

Shizune had the decency to blush, but tactfully chose not to respond. Instead she continued with her duties. "You've still got a little time before the exam is over, but most of the other gennin have been gathered in the main room. Come on, Tsunade might get impatient and give the speech without you."

Naruto didn't have time to ask any more questions or even explain anything that had happened while in the forest, as Shizune rushed him along. She used a single hand seal with her free hand to create a shift in the wall, revealing a dark hallway that she led him through. On the other side of the hall, Naruto found a large gathering of gennin waiting for him.

The squads were lined up in individual rows and Naruto took count of who all was there as Shizune lead him to his position. The Suna team, all three rookie teams, team Gai, and Kabuto's squad made it through as well. As his own individual team, Naruto was left standing by his lonesome as the other teams stared him down. He locked eyes with a few of his fellow rookies, taking note of what condition they were in. All of them showed signs of exhaustion to some degree. More than a few were covered in cuts and scratches, but none of them seemed to be seriously injured. In fact, Gaara looked completely untouched by the wilderness he had just survived.

Naruto examined the younger gennin over, trying to study him discreetly. He was forced to abandon this endeavor when Gaara looked his way, uncannily aware that he was being watched. Naruto faced the front and tried to recognize all of the Jonin and proctors lined on both sides of the Hokage. Tsunade was at his side as the elderly man looked out among the crowd of gennin. The Sandaime gifted him with the slightest of nods, his visage still serious and hardened.

Once he had a thorough examination of the crowd, the Sandaime stepped forward, giving a placating smile as he began his speech. "Congratulations on passing the Second Exam. Each team has shown the necessary skills needed to be here and it's surprised me at the large amount of teams that made it. I'm impressed with the crop this year, and it is a good sign for the future. Unfortunately, with such a good crop, there comes a need to continue thinning out the gennin not capable of Chunin rank. With that being said, I'd like to welcome you all to the Preliminary rounds of the Third Exam."

* * *

AN: And that's how you do it! And by it, I mean write out another chapter for this story after kicking around for a month. And since I took so long, karma decided to pay me back. These staples I have in my arm look pretty cool though, so I won't complain too much.

The Second Exam is done and Naruto's left a bit changed from it all. The interaction between seals is very critical and yes, I'll clarify now that nature chakra is harmful to the Kyuubi. And since the Curse Mark is just a perverted Sage Mode, the Kyuubi can't interact with Naruto when he uses it, lest he be harmed by the tainted nature chakra. Naruto tapped into the seal some, to get out of a desperate situation and now he knows what its capable of and the damage it leaves after. He won't be jumping to use it in place of the Kyuubi's chakra, nor is he too eager to gain power from the Kyuubi. He just realizes his duty as Konoha's lone jinchuuriki to harness that power for when the need arises.

The Preliminary Rounds are next and I can't see me altering them too much from cannon. I'm gonna do the math and work it all out before I write anything down, but I'll be sure to note when I skip a cannon fight. Without Zaku, Kin, and Dosu, I have to change just a little of it up. So look forward to that, and then we'll see what Naruto gets into in order to cover up his Curse Mark. Until next time, Big Willis


End file.
